tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14683832123367471612024-03-17T23:04:04.685-04:00LiveLoveDIYa little blog about living, loving, creating...LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.comBlogger202125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-41027729150098050732017-03-16T20:20:00.003-04:002017-03-16T22:03:47.921-04:00Ava's Baby Room Reveal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhmJxcra22yU215OJrrjushwvqgNc_Rcv-9ZVD2g4JoIrCEbUn95qSMGUIBv15wzJutigi7pt9HGNYjbRyM9FmJ-R2KvyvoyuSn6VdMPWUlSxC-dzCmI-6kQgNg0H0A-9DV4WW_UswTM/s1600/BEFORE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhmJxcra22yU215OJrrjushwvqgNc_Rcv-9ZVD2g4JoIrCEbUn95qSMGUIBv15wzJutigi7pt9HGNYjbRyM9FmJ-R2KvyvoyuSn6VdMPWUlSxC-dzCmI-6kQgNg0H0A-9DV4WW_UswTM/s640/BEFORE.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hey guys! I'm so excited to share Ava's baby room with you tonight. It's one of my favorite rooms I've created, ever. Ava was with me while I was photographing the room yesterday, and therefore she is in every picture. Fun fact, toddlers don't care what you are trying to accomplish. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You are subject to their terms.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Also, I had about 10 minutes to clean this room, which basically involved opening the blinds and pushing Ava's toys into the corner. This is my current version of 'styling'. It's authentic and real and oh so janky.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hope you enjoy it.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Okay, so room reveal. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">These are the pics that I saved from the original real estate listing. It was set up as a really cute little boys room, and when we came to look at the house, Ava and I sat in this room for a good 15 minutes, playing with this little boy's toys. They had already moved out, supposedly years ago, so it was kinda just staged, I guess. But, the point is that Ava loved this room and it had a good vibe to it.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was huge, but had yucky carpeting and a giant partition wall splitting the room in half. So, I knew we would have to make some changes, but I saw the potential.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaeixlRSus8rSau1k4fX6Pji5OgaDgc8aik5oYAekN1Cc7VHuxQOm8hkso3V2xpg0YHbJiom3wyhu-ZwdpcrjzkloRXTtsp9nbqi6swNF1XF32PRi7VerCM9pkEkjklLIKNRol-oGj2Uc/s1600/2484946-1504241532271048-p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaeixlRSus8rSau1k4fX6Pji5OgaDgc8aik5oYAekN1Cc7VHuxQOm8hkso3V2xpg0YHbJiom3wyhu-ZwdpcrjzkloRXTtsp9nbqi6swNF1XF32PRi7VerCM9pkEkjklLIKNRol-oGj2Uc/s640/2484946-1504241532271048-p.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This whole house is funky and weird, but from what I can deduce, I think this was originally two small bedrooms (the house is currently 3 bedrooms and perhaps it was originally 4), and they must have knocked down that wall. Now, at first I assumed that the half wall housed a support beam, because why else would there be a half wall in the middle of the room? But, upon further investigation, it was not a support wall. I have no idea why it was kept there, but money doesn't grow on trees, so that usually has something to do with the answer. In my experience.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Anyway, I wanted to share the real estate pics of this room because it does a much better job of showing you how this room functioned before we gutted it.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHP2xFq_FSNy3vqlgFvAHNR-c2ENN4j4Xn0YRAo7TdJ5MNxX5VlnmlmQJIJz9c7eooRqlalKftY7E2h6RteCQggaG65Lam7a58Myzq1_S9_unaBwOOR2MyqKG6xcoQgKjWYfLgsjwKOQ/s1600/2484946-1504241532294250-p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHP2xFq_FSNy3vqlgFvAHNR-c2ENN4j4Xn0YRAo7TdJ5MNxX5VlnmlmQJIJz9c7eooRqlalKftY7E2h6RteCQggaG65Lam7a58Myzq1_S9_unaBwOOR2MyqKG6xcoQgKjWYfLgsjwKOQ/s640/2484946-1504241532294250-p.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The below photos were taken by me, days after we moved in. It was so hard to photograph an accurate representation of this room at the time. Essentially, it was a giant room with a mini wall cutting it in half, it had severe textured ceilings, pet stained carpets, tan walls, and so many light fixtures. There was a ceiling fan, two boob lights, several can lights, and then three ceiling air vents. We narrowed it down to one light and the air vents. A real vetting process.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilN-wRnjPFkubowV2D6kIujDBTsItFqqJFpPh6zRO50xFXaJMzS7FbSXvtlol757ur-YNJaUzzc6pmnhukr5H5Jr-u-vuPwdsRQhhIe_XMmiHHQ2D2mqidwgYVRHSCydkqoJOZndJUdI4/s1600/DSC01618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilN-wRnjPFkubowV2D6kIujDBTsItFqqJFpPh6zRO50xFXaJMzS7FbSXvtlol757ur-YNJaUzzc6pmnhukr5H5Jr-u-vuPwdsRQhhIe_XMmiHHQ2D2mqidwgYVRHSCydkqoJOZndJUdI4/s640/DSC01618.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Gives me a little anxiety looking through these old before pics. It was a lot of work, and when I am actually going through the renovation process, I have a lot of stress and major insecurities, and these pictures remind me of that. I tend to forget about it as I move on. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It looked like an old apartment building. That's probably a big source of the stress.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJWlvJrPo_q-jnMmLJjHr7ufbYKFu0ZvaO3drY6tM5ljvPtnOzz8fsc5siPKCPsaEK99wXVG1E8EWUFPOcSTk1jHx3qqfT7sffsG_kbmx5OEdj5zbbiRgzQtkIIyASuIf2b-RNGbEBbc/s1600/DSC01620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJWlvJrPo_q-jnMmLJjHr7ufbYKFu0ZvaO3drY6tM5ljvPtnOzz8fsc5siPKCPsaEK99wXVG1E8EWUFPOcSTk1jHx3qqfT7sffsG_kbmx5OEdj5zbbiRgzQtkIIyASuIf2b-RNGbEBbc/s640/DSC01620.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, here is a pic from after we ripped up the carpet and removed the half wall. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9tyxjMwnDhhXFdCMJR1YUSUAx6IF_4obU1XxFuP1MuJ-KH0RTobgW124-sDoakTl7_Gek7KgAEyPvGPGLeNysB0paGmKNJ0wHe7W3NyIriGxjfWEbLCIfJ6-tf0I0FUUhYQZm4DiHF_E/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9tyxjMwnDhhXFdCMJR1YUSUAx6IF_4obU1XxFuP1MuJ-KH0RTobgW124-sDoakTl7_Gek7KgAEyPvGPGLeNysB0paGmKNJ0wHe7W3NyIriGxjfWEbLCIfJ6-tf0I0FUUhYQZm4DiHF_E/s640/2.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Oh yeah, there was also no door on this room. Or in any room in this house. So, we had to frame in a doorway and install a door. I'm not a high maintenance person, but I need a door. I don't even know what else to say. It was just so bizarre. This house sat on the market for 4 years, and it's kinda like, hey man, there's no doors.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfeShQvZRXHne6oaejuDICwEKYQQpvqXfADJvvc1x-PmuI2ZYrJ45sPH_xaHxR3DOnzoKNq_KexiYf82vG0obe37ejppvbGCsM-Is0rqAmxAvJmXqSyZZePUqpJck-Cc7W36AVsVghQ7I/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfeShQvZRXHne6oaejuDICwEKYQQpvqXfADJvvc1x-PmuI2ZYrJ45sPH_xaHxR3DOnzoKNq_KexiYf82vG0obe37ejppvbGCsM-Is0rqAmxAvJmXqSyZZePUqpJck-Cc7W36AVsVghQ7I/s640/14.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's a pic of us stopping by the reno (back when we were living with my mom). So cute to see her so little, just stompin' 'round that room.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKpywpCNytEcvtriioQK6Zxh5yiVSlZyxYKjqsfeSpGAcm6RSNY-KznjGS00NQ61_5xyb_lt2WRnhPqyBE-SYDgHO969WQGKl2IW8eDd8JoYOkbBt4rLnwUK5XT_v0PaTLAmmtDkiiXA4/s1600/IMG_5204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKpywpCNytEcvtriioQK6Zxh5yiVSlZyxYKjqsfeSpGAcm6RSNY-KznjGS00NQ61_5xyb_lt2WRnhPqyBE-SYDgHO969WQGKl2IW8eDd8JoYOkbBt4rLnwUK5XT_v0PaTLAmmtDkiiXA4/s640/IMG_5204.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's a pic from when the hardwood floors were finished. No trim or doors yet, and the walls were a beige patchwork disaster, but it was getting there.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJB3V-BAc9ls2Acg5UXHqlmhAF-Gwaq1KtgKDm3hD7y8lyqEsyySWVl4-D6bcyagk1lFRIUrnayus43LDdjU4Z_Aunkvlx61tqWd4gUSQbA6rdDbjorTLpv7neqor0RGSDjZUcHQeAXkc/s1600/DSC01748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJB3V-BAc9ls2Acg5UXHqlmhAF-Gwaq1KtgKDm3hD7y8lyqEsyySWVl4-D6bcyagk1lFRIUrnayus43LDdjU4Z_Aunkvlx61tqWd4gUSQbA6rdDbjorTLpv7neqor0RGSDjZUcHQeAXkc/s640/DSC01748.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxrkCi8zmVKhiBYLXaWbCxnA8a76l9nN_zHC_tCpUM8aGq88w1CJxQyvHuBEUkbPGELhpynaJhRszoWSj8MIoDciYqoSX2EH6WxDyAIoewQzqsNqT87lWs4ulZL7o4sa5qSkc1TLxUcE/s1600/DSC01752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxrkCi8zmVKhiBYLXaWbCxnA8a76l9nN_zHC_tCpUM8aGq88w1CJxQyvHuBEUkbPGELhpynaJhRszoWSj8MIoDciYqoSX2EH6WxDyAIoewQzqsNqT87lWs4ulZL7o4sa5qSkc1TLxUcE/s640/DSC01752.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The next step was paint. We had a drywall guy redo the ceilings, mud the doorway, and patch the area where we removed the half wall. At that point, the room looked like a patchwork quilt. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I got samples of all my go-to grays (below) and painted some swatches in the room. I always do this, because paint looks different in every room, and especially depending on what else you bring into the room. I ended up using Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray, a trusty favorite. (My other favorite below is Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray. That was the color of her last <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/06/the-nursery-reveal.html">nursery</a> and our current master <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2016/03/diy-bathroom-remodel-on-budget.html">bathroom</a>. It just felt too dark in this room though.)</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5rjXWdw9S1SAI0mwQjaOqmg1fTGyP_MPjgSEnNbf8CQpqN6BQ3DUl4u9AJlnQ0Cc2mmdC1_8MY6Nq5_obDvlGSxEwKyr1ZEQ0aBAZPhEJG1LfRQc9HGOtLuRdOFom_lFNDBkhzwuVVc/s1600/gray-paint-colors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="gray-paint-colors" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5rjXWdw9S1SAI0mwQjaOqmg1fTGyP_MPjgSEnNbf8CQpqN6BQ3DUl4u9AJlnQ0Cc2mmdC1_8MY6Nq5_obDvlGSxEwKyr1ZEQ0aBAZPhEJG1LfRQc9HGOtLuRdOFom_lFNDBkhzwuVVc/s640/gray-paint-colors.jpg" title="The BEST gray paint colors revealed! " width="448" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I think it was the absolute perfect color, too. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8xsi88g8fhcS9gesXX2Hrk4cQhz9JMWnnMTk4qKyrYSjx189B4ttZtsSWZY00xTp-b5IGggh1ewM4Ay2rYPBXrNk_LClCrpmjyTk-42Zagfvn2uTryktkOxF13Jbln3hIxNkEIGFi1c/s1600/IMG_1978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8xsi88g8fhcS9gesXX2Hrk4cQhz9JMWnnMTk4qKyrYSjx189B4ttZtsSWZY00xTp-b5IGggh1ewM4Ay2rYPBXrNk_LClCrpmjyTk-42Zagfvn2uTryktkOxF13Jbln3hIxNkEIGFi1c/s640/IMG_1978.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The statement piece of the entire room is this <a href="http://www.rugsusa.com/rugsusa/rugs/rugs-usa-vivid-medallion-as19b/Multi/200KKAS19B-2608.html">Silky Road Vivid Medallion</a> rug from <a href="http://www.rugsusa.com/rugsusa/control/rugs">Rugs USA</a>. You guys constantly ask me on my <a href="http://www.instagram.com/livelovediy">instagram</a> where my rugs in the photos are from, and they are always from here. I'm obsessed with their selection, as it's constantly evolving, and the quality of the rugs is incredible.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjILlImsRzYNtW4dvGtp7n3QnioBCxS3EDGVIwEyONEFXx1UCXqQuLB5FNDvU_Wxz9BNfEpS78Ps2BOHZbCrU_5eBXq7dvpR_q_Uv1HujnLTiG9nFwlKzaGT6LDv3H7-_dSAnfEEQjjzWw/s1600/IMG_1985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjILlImsRzYNtW4dvGtp7n3QnioBCxS3EDGVIwEyONEFXx1UCXqQuLB5FNDvU_Wxz9BNfEpS78Ps2BOHZbCrU_5eBXq7dvpR_q_Uv1HujnLTiG9nFwlKzaGT6LDv3H7-_dSAnfEEQjjzWw/s640/IMG_1985.JPG" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Anyway, this rug undoubtedly makes the room. Here's a picture of Ava reading on the floor next to her book bin. Obviously, I'm so proud. I won't pretend like I did anything to make this happen though. I think she is just a bookworm at heart. And it's so precious.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>That tan outlet is an eyesore and a hazard. Pretend it's not there, and don't you dare read this entire post and leave me a comment about the outlets. There's usually a monitor plugged in right there. Why am I explaining myself. Carry on and trust.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzHX4RHbcAFGeWX21ZfQNJyti4EplEl3y_unJphq8rlNLwCZl-4RM6JIrf_boC6to9JfBTJryMka-mPhyphenhyphenhWUxKN_AVEGyjC2teDiZvU4GhT4pfVVNcpMMCpq7qzG-DnfZtYfw1iInRAE/s1600/IMG_1830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzHX4RHbcAFGeWX21ZfQNJyti4EplEl3y_unJphq8rlNLwCZl-4RM6JIrf_boC6to9JfBTJryMka-mPhyphenhyphenhWUxKN_AVEGyjC2teDiZvU4GhT4pfVVNcpMMCpq7qzG-DnfZtYfw1iInRAE/s640/IMG_1830.JPG" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I created a little reading corner for Ava with the old hot pink couch.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizP7ADejLlVvIFWOC6zDbXPbLWMCADdu6VfaXyDEsJYEAm2pxX3gm7BVyCdFUzOtO86sBkjcc3wOGSMcGw3i83vm6zmJVahKvKNoYRUkgKQ-aMgUAa7es_O1OyJbbmSAPq6cBs-QQSPIc/s1600/baby-room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizP7ADejLlVvIFWOC6zDbXPbLWMCADdu6VfaXyDEsJYEAm2pxX3gm7BVyCdFUzOtO86sBkjcc3wOGSMcGw3i83vm6zmJVahKvKNoYRUkgKQ-aMgUAa7es_O1OyJbbmSAPq6cBs-QQSPIc/s640/baby-room.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/02/master-bedroom-updates-and-hot-pink.html">Remember</a> that old couch? It's covered with <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E99RGAA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00E99RGAA&linkCode=as2&tag=li0a6a-20&linkId=c9ded892e6eda34cbb491ecb222a764f" target="_blank">this</a> Surefit slipcover I got off Amazon (affiliate link).....seriously, I've used that slipcover for years now, it's a gamechanger. Those pink velvet pillows are from Etsy, I think the original link is in the old basement reno <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/05/our-1970s-house-makeover-basement.html">post</a>. I hung a gold 'A' above the couch, from Homegoods.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2HCvAo_31ehq3Sg9ybkUnpg6uCo_a1nv2DN451xzVRnaSWi5Sn80hgO3uuIA6o5M97QrhNyC2zL3CHU4odaLGiWuKSLp5YRciUPPMatmVonf8P4HI8wHsNgSvWGGdRQnZLXrBVwvw7s/s1600/IMG_1978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2HCvAo_31ehq3Sg9ybkUnpg6uCo_a1nv2DN451xzVRnaSWi5Sn80hgO3uuIA6o5M97QrhNyC2zL3CHU4odaLGiWuKSLp5YRciUPPMatmVonf8P4HI8wHsNgSvWGGdRQnZLXrBVwvw7s/s640/IMG_1978.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The floral artwork was from a local store.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0GGeKVsKHRbNfdDTBMxYaoWSzo7drBzCzedZcCwlRMt_ozJgPkUZq8HCSTgkvEI-llT3jG4vOopXTS84oTxS0A-RZ_0akKOGaPwC4ccZ-BKGePEartIRoTWYpX6Daz_ncftCbM5XokHE/s1600/IMG_1984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0GGeKVsKHRbNfdDTBMxYaoWSzo7drBzCzedZcCwlRMt_ozJgPkUZq8HCSTgkvEI-llT3jG4vOopXTS84oTxS0A-RZ_0akKOGaPwC4ccZ-BKGePEartIRoTWYpX6Daz_ncftCbM5XokHE/s640/IMG_1984.JPG" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The crib was from Pottery Barn.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikpTHJVpj15AJBOLIioR5ZLYff-7nIb7nF2bnHjWAcg2J5x6SHuxNTMv0vNMYU2u1fzjt75oKdgXGQeNAiqvEpWv9cjJe3Qx6yZyhnl5sYvEb1fEmWR7hBWJDS7EtvV-fHGdX9UmtQnhA/s1600/IMG_1977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikpTHJVpj15AJBOLIioR5ZLYff-7nIb7nF2bnHjWAcg2J5x6SHuxNTMv0vNMYU2u1fzjt75oKdgXGQeNAiqvEpWv9cjJe3Qx6yZyhnl5sYvEb1fEmWR7hBWJDS7EtvV-fHGdX9UmtQnhA/s640/IMG_1977.JPG" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ava's dresser is an old thrift store purchase that I painted, tutorial can be found <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2013/12/how-to-paint-furniture-and-dresser.html">here</a>. The rocking chair in the corner was handmade by Jesse's late grandfather, who was a skilled woodworker in his spare time. I spray painted it cream (tips <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/02/10-things-you-should-know-about-spray.html">here</a>).</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQBzjy7HA8G_YFMTsjFk5iTuRu2CknxMLAq0gzYlXbJ4EddA80xTx_FqA3StVU52gNYqhRHZL-n_mdD3OIk2n3HJ2olp7oI0KWfRpjk6Ptt53-SwbGWZAOfr43NLShCaJ0o2Bbov74LE/s1600/IMG_1831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQBzjy7HA8G_YFMTsjFk5iTuRu2CknxMLAq0gzYlXbJ4EddA80xTx_FqA3StVU52gNYqhRHZL-n_mdD3OIk2n3HJ2olp7oI0KWfRpjk6Ptt53-SwbGWZAOfr43NLShCaJ0o2Bbov74LE/s640/IMG_1831.JPG" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The curtains are from Target and the cribsheet is from BuyBuyBaby. I took the mattress out to change her sheets and it turned into a hectic race to pile everything she owned on top. I love watching her brain work.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDz7294gKsflYUSOYggCsn0oumxy47v8BuD51kV1xV-FZof1J4-NYV3ZhNkm2t-vrhSlaskFkci_oo57i8P5a_92a-eFBx6i0FWRuzi8HBZYqUwbNWN4sQzJlHhZxMHgC5ZZQj6VWwu7w/s1600/IMG_1832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDz7294gKsflYUSOYggCsn0oumxy47v8BuD51kV1xV-FZof1J4-NYV3ZhNkm2t-vrhSlaskFkci_oo57i8P5a_92a-eFBx6i0FWRuzi8HBZYqUwbNWN4sQzJlHhZxMHgC5ZZQj6VWwu7w/s640/IMG_1832.JPG" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm in a toy swapping phase. I pack up a bunch of her toys and move them to a different room or pack them away. Then a week or so later, I swap them out. I've found it to be a great way of keeping her interested in our current toy hoard. Sometimes all it takes is just moving her living room toys into her bedroom...hours of entertainment, I tell you. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And some days I just lay on the couch watching RHOBH, hoping she will take a very long nap. This is my truth.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Just passing along my ideas. If you have a toddler entertainment idea, please pass back. We all need help. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUQ2gafEerk_BmoeGiO9ZmWKaQ4PSfw3YpNOVDClIPh8NoUlzmQGKDv3VphYA0sJ2EVp8zLzw6WM7zAKUjByQIYqGPxj1hkW9XOz4WyJOjTJpQ78WJFxttuYXYVwjSru0ogCJiMYeGgY/s1600/IMG_1839.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUQ2gafEerk_BmoeGiO9ZmWKaQ4PSfw3YpNOVDClIPh8NoUlzmQGKDv3VphYA0sJ2EVp8zLzw6WM7zAKUjByQIYqGPxj1hkW9XOz4WyJOjTJpQ78WJFxttuYXYVwjSru0ogCJiMYeGgY/s640/IMG_1839.PNG" width="360" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've been seeing a lot of ridiculous children's closets on Pinterest. And what a freakin' joke. I mean, it does inspire, but stahp. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, here's my version. We hung up every dress Ava owns, most of which are too small, and then she picked one to put on. Just happens to be the one my mom made for me when I was Ava's age. Her closet is also stacked with random mirrors and assorted junk. It's a process.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNJbMGZRkaeO9ak6iUX7nCBgBmXirjZtX0JhEx4wMUCeMPGCrK7vBkSrUA4iMauFm69LCQfngKdVJGLP6_ZpTGGFGmHJex57XB0x0HBCBrHnK3Y5gztZ5n7l7ZZkrc3dD0jKO3T_167Y/s1600/IMG_1882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNJbMGZRkaeO9ak6iUX7nCBgBmXirjZtX0JhEx4wMUCeMPGCrK7vBkSrUA4iMauFm69LCQfngKdVJGLP6_ZpTGGFGmHJex57XB0x0HBCBrHnK3Y5gztZ5n7l7ZZkrc3dD0jKO3T_167Y/s640/IMG_1882.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mowing the lawn in the dress.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLofh7T8tNHw9B4RLpRWB6QG4EBP_NDJfnWACoIhkClR9iK_Ry9j9YC6JxhC4oYW60BCh0gE_m0S-UYQ1SAc-QEwjI3C5cA9IXK_x-XCKcynza4QyuFMqFNfzG9qhZDsRdFJDNAFCmo74/s1600/IMG_1884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLofh7T8tNHw9B4RLpRWB6QG4EBP_NDJfnWACoIhkClR9iK_Ry9j9YC6JxhC4oYW60BCh0gE_m0S-UYQ1SAc-QEwjI3C5cA9IXK_x-XCKcynza4QyuFMqFNfzG9qhZDsRdFJDNAFCmo74/s640/IMG_1884.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">With a ponytail. A ponytail and sideburns.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZk2bKOEe8KC6E69ipF5xTV8ytCaJjMMhabm_G4iecuaQicajgxXH2m0IGpgquEq5A6-ZOSOlidlCSBwC-lxWOSpJ5AtzepBPoR8Hnj5eaOEVYSMv_rWR28FPI-mw3kBZ6kLQ4F6d6HI/s1600/IMG_1883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZk2bKOEe8KC6E69ipF5xTV8ytCaJjMMhabm_G4iecuaQicajgxXH2m0IGpgquEq5A6-ZOSOlidlCSBwC-lxWOSpJ5AtzepBPoR8Hnj5eaOEVYSMv_rWR28FPI-mw3kBZ6kLQ4F6d6HI/s640/IMG_1883.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are the new doors... I painted the main door Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUO_XC1xIcOqUNA40NY0qpS3UyEwCIt3POYzGgDx4-2yZqgJ2goFMaSZ7ADG5dulZifMVpfhLROZM37zbL3gCVDCBJYC6VYyPY1OvUP-jskPgrpJl9cVLn3Ol3jE8oH4o1WAe6oNyPQQ/s1600/IMG_1976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUO_XC1xIcOqUNA40NY0qpS3UyEwCIt3POYzGgDx4-2yZqgJ2goFMaSZ7ADG5dulZifMVpfhLROZM37zbL3gCVDCBJYC6VYyPY1OvUP-jskPgrpJl9cVLn3Ol3jE8oH4o1WAe6oNyPQQ/s640/IMG_1976.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The closets got new doors, too, but I haven't painted them yet. They are currently just the tan primer color. Mama got tired. They are gonna be this color until she goes to college.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6TRmayMojBVsNq1G8n0_VQizC9iSZ4_FftqG7vEeSFOdiHBUkNxIvqH1jO0O9T6x7l7qC6HES_aIKrQFAdDgbQcZfHvTMad9A55wzEyi2RCMHVAQgZTj6FPHd5cGI-833-kl596UOvgg/s1600/IMG_1979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6TRmayMojBVsNq1G8n0_VQizC9iSZ4_FftqG7vEeSFOdiHBUkNxIvqH1jO0O9T6x7l7qC6HES_aIKrQFAdDgbQcZfHvTMad9A55wzEyi2RCMHVAQgZTj6FPHd5cGI-833-kl596UOvgg/s640/IMG_1979.JPG" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I removed all of the random light fixtures in this room and replaced it with one great one...a semi-flush crystal tear drop chandelier.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoWlSYgNMZBQcCCWSHen9uUGt4CLo1h4PqNNBCPedD3J9PnNBeoSbr54v8lkFGvLqh7Ob1YOJ04gk_vjCUYL2DWlG4TdVtN3njq6rYPpg_X_kLxOm8NJiVnSPp0n3oNwxeagYh3eFGjk/s1600/IMG_1980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoWlSYgNMZBQcCCWSHen9uUGt4CLo1h4PqNNBCPedD3J9PnNBeoSbr54v8lkFGvLqh7Ob1YOJ04gk_vjCUYL2DWlG4TdVtN3njq6rYPpg_X_kLxOm8NJiVnSPp0n3oNwxeagYh3eFGjk/s640/IMG_1980.JPG" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's been awhile, but I think it was from Home Depot. Jesse did not love the assembly process.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FSSWT9USWlv4mGCiwtqcgSPb6p7EzNiYhvLEVAk_zKhIGbjnMNDk_zUr9GEQo8BD_VL5SClten0e0-gXFDjlXL158YLs8NJcj0EzBi-COru1UcIPZyvF1sz2ouuDS3DrKnKNH9CavFE/s1600/IMG_1986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FSSWT9USWlv4mGCiwtqcgSPb6p7EzNiYhvLEVAk_zKhIGbjnMNDk_zUr9GEQo8BD_VL5SClten0e0-gXFDjlXL158YLs8NJcj0EzBi-COru1UcIPZyvF1sz2ouuDS3DrKnKNH9CavFE/s640/IMG_1986.JPG" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I made some art for Ava's room.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBLikIXltdbRRMmfgKcForMW305-s1qGW7rySsuyedSy1Enb1-8ALXrwjwUFav0JUVZ4FascG3LcEbYehNkQ3o6Sry7NqFL3FYYWL5wKx0rmzYDJ86HtbNrgx73L6DGkAnCI2inf_Uv9w/s1600/IMG_1982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBLikIXltdbRRMmfgKcForMW305-s1qGW7rySsuyedSy1Enb1-8ALXrwjwUFav0JUVZ4FascG3LcEbYehNkQ3o6Sry7NqFL3FYYWL5wKx0rmzYDJ86HtbNrgx73L6DGkAnCI2inf_Uv9w/s640/IMG_1982.JPG" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've been painting a lot upstairs in my bedroom at night. Just a hobby, currently. I planned on making three canvases, spelling out 'Ava', but nope. It took me multiple nights to finish the A, and I thoroughly loved the process, but there's something about repeating a piece of art that takes the joy out of it. So, it turned into a singular piece. :)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BEonaLCtOaiwCJgiE-PFGOoOvoOr2iDS3doF-fbhGsiVRjLPNktJ4btnbc5634K2UTM_TzH6fNucRTaHdKNE_NfPJqMC_1aVuitAxPY3YC3q-DIuAxzMbpoCcTOiP8D41VXMsF4xnlk/s1600/art+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BEonaLCtOaiwCJgiE-PFGOoOvoOr2iDS3doF-fbhGsiVRjLPNktJ4btnbc5634K2UTM_TzH6fNucRTaHdKNE_NfPJqMC_1aVuitAxPY3YC3q-DIuAxzMbpoCcTOiP8D41VXMsF4xnlk/s640/art+ideas.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You guys. I see you on Instagram. I hear you. I promise to do a post about the painting stuff. I'm just not there yet, and have to get over my insecurity hump. You're helping with that. Thanks.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, here's a closeup of the piece I created for Ava. It's all hand drawn and painted. I really am proud of this one. I feel good about it.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatRxY9jXIzfQUXcT_bO1pXCJzcJrDKlyz4FtFxX0VTnsF0dUimiZUXvhWvMyE0JM8QOdDnYgzf-JSnGJn8P67I851CnCzULK5j9ZHeRnbWe3zAxZH3f9VMC5F25Fke9azHFy0W0dmy1k/s1600/IMG_1975.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatRxY9jXIzfQUXcT_bO1pXCJzcJrDKlyz4FtFxX0VTnsF0dUimiZUXvhWvMyE0JM8QOdDnYgzf-JSnGJn8P67I851CnCzULK5j9ZHeRnbWe3zAxZH3f9VMC5F25Fke9azHFy0W0dmy1k/s640/IMG_1975.JPG" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And that, friends, is the end of Ava's room tour. She says hi. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thanks for being here and caring about our little world.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvMq_ltgRIoninE2dPEKu4RpbsoyyExqZ69qib9sb0Y-MqyzvQfTXvXXfvqQuHPChLT5KmoXU17aJTwssOmUQmnFC69iniTDAiX5rFqay81iGYublQGi7tTFhaG3luMCFc5jn1ZY7crY/s1600/IMG_1839.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvMq_ltgRIoninE2dPEKu4RpbsoyyExqZ69qib9sb0Y-MqyzvQfTXvXXfvqQuHPChLT5KmoXU17aJTwssOmUQmnFC69iniTDAiX5rFqay81iGYublQGi7tTFhaG3luMCFc5jn1ZY7crY/s640/IMG_1839.PNG" width="360" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgvvNRrT-thIst2TcM_s_FIk77pcSgD5pKNckR37M9Zvscb6pBNfS_CXULQAu2YbnHiFNVUTFn-Fykulu-fWzfdmkWknoqrMBlz7Tj62o_nSgbqB4bTWi_pRxNH6h9ww90dnHTNjpKMLY/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgvvNRrT-thIst2TcM_s_FIk77pcSgD5pKNckR37M9Zvscb6pBNfS_CXULQAu2YbnHiFNVUTFn-Fykulu-fWzfdmkWknoqrMBlz7Tj62o_nSgbqB4bTWi_pRxNH6h9ww90dnHTNjpKMLY/s1600/signature.png" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-19671133818947702012017-02-11T13:35:00.000-05:002017-02-11T13:35:09.253-05:00How To Create A Personalized Baby Photo Book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlRbklFqZm0fIE9sDfwE9yO9uR25vJvlfxaG6roHg2sSOlQiwMyS4_-CoJcV3uerhG6ikCHn9wQZLtFWbKtxG5ovuW7VFfBR3ZKFXsBJbcuiD2JctgYeT7z4Ptw4DufOMRe-3NInZ0Va2/s1600/make-a-baby-book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlRbklFqZm0fIE9sDfwE9yO9uR25vJvlfxaG6roHg2sSOlQiwMyS4_-CoJcV3uerhG6ikCHn9wQZLtFWbKtxG5ovuW7VFfBR3ZKFXsBJbcuiD2JctgYeT7z4Ptw4DufOMRe-3NInZ0Va2/s640/make-a-baby-book.jpg" title="How to make your own customized baby board books. These are SO easy to make and babies love them!" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hey guys! I had a lot of requests to share a quick tutorial of how I made the baby board books for Ava (I was posting about them on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/livelovediy">Instagram</a> last night while I was making them). </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ava loves to read her books, and she is really starting to use words and identify things. So, I thought it would be the perfect time to make her some little books with pictures of family, especially since a lot of our family lives far away. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I gave her the first one I made this morning and she just about lost her mind. She hasn't put it down since, and is just running around pointing at different pictures and telling me who she sees. She calls herself 'baby', which just delights me to end.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LEg5wfIg-_RnIhrij4pmf5f6i_-x3QMt6cq3vjTcuMfl-LEA1uzDWrC0RQRwMa55AuNJP5V4pk6THchhzvcOAnm0tf6iyD729Dq1GqhitMPKVRdYN7pODOjUdvnHnOwNTk0oq74b-N8C/s1600/IMG_0615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LEg5wfIg-_RnIhrij4pmf5f6i_-x3QMt6cq3vjTcuMfl-LEA1uzDWrC0RQRwMa55AuNJP5V4pk6THchhzvcOAnm0tf6iyD729Dq1GqhitMPKVRdYN7pODOjUdvnHnOwNTk0oq74b-N8C/s640/IMG_0615.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, here's a quick tutorial so you guys can go make your own. I found these <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004PW0AI6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004PW0AI6&linkCode=as2&tag=li0a6a-20&linkId=321378327515665ea1597cee60eebad3" target="_blank">hardcover chunky books</a> on Amazon (affiliate link). I bought several of them, and they're really perfect for this project. They have a glossy coating on all the pages and are really chunky...perfect for messy little toddlers. Ava read hers while simultaneously eating jelly toast, and I had to wipe it down afterwards, and it survived.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Other than that, all you need is some clear tape. I used <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004Z481/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00004Z481&linkCode=as2&tag=li0a6a-20&linkId=145915f439d0dcbd244c9a644d4cd7a7" target="_blank">this</a> one (affiliate link). I bought a couple to try out and this one was my fave because you don't really see it. Any tape would work though. And then you need a Sharpie if you want to write on it. I took things a little too far and doodled all over the front of mine like a lunatic. The doodle can't be contained.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kqyo83NVL7tiaS1OyhYl0gXh4W6nvUaSF_3ik4gQ7W33s_hJYnwF6sTirXoGFJm8jcagcIKt_UexVzn8OBLfT_2KaVojPfoP6mCNiwS4avwzlbhISf6HclVxhfqwaYyy3VsdYTIe-1w_/s1600/custom-baby-book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kqyo83NVL7tiaS1OyhYl0gXh4W6nvUaSF_3ik4gQ7W33s_hJYnwF6sTirXoGFJm8jcagcIKt_UexVzn8OBLfT_2KaVojPfoP6mCNiwS4avwzlbhISf6HclVxhfqwaYyy3VsdYTIe-1w_/s640/custom-baby-book.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I printed off a bunch of pictures from CVS. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikAJNMKnswKoNJD7h8ZMzXHAziCUHUdiPcU1hK2LN69KxNH9P7JDcmRnBCJId0xZwU1nATikSk2FDSHluqSXUEjeilXI7907KhUWsHGA9lKOBwD8spiYYI5Zn7WQlOpW2DJllxYQ9vp-tI/s1600/IMG_0569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikAJNMKnswKoNJD7h8ZMzXHAziCUHUdiPcU1hK2LN69KxNH9P7JDcmRnBCJId0xZwU1nATikSk2FDSHluqSXUEjeilXI7907KhUWsHGA9lKOBwD8spiYYI5Zn7WQlOpW2DJllxYQ9vp-tI/s640/IMG_0569.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also printed off some pics of animals (her current obsession) for one of the other books. You can basically google anything and find a picture of it. I feel like I don't need to tell you that, but you never know.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PMDFfZ9OShR2d127uVHY5hzS9XFJSQyWH8P2jI0zijZ-ajCy-kATgkfUvIgm7aAqp1tYS97e75LG7jPEcKdgS1rXm3MCHuUlrfEXGEviGc7VsTuKB_WYEJTdFofrc5Pjttl37AkDhi1S/s1600/IMG_0618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PMDFfZ9OShR2d127uVHY5hzS9XFJSQyWH8P2jI0zijZ-ajCy-kATgkfUvIgm7aAqp1tYS97e75LG7jPEcKdgS1rXm3MCHuUlrfEXGEviGc7VsTuKB_WYEJTdFofrc5Pjttl37AkDhi1S/s640/IMG_0618.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then, just cut the pictures to the size you want.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Those gold Target scissors are still giving me life.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLZeex8zMCogD14TL3xPTEWvtn-s8Wvc7xY-wYDPqA0I7EQIX-4w21-aQGcMBSOHDkFgDlRXI60niQMUmT-0XIzI1ZVxV9BHOnlIK1CKjY8KurLRQ_md7bC6psyTf2UUuhvjXnTNzjZuT/s1600/IMG_0573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLZeex8zMCogD14TL3xPTEWvtn-s8Wvc7xY-wYDPqA0I7EQIX-4w21-aQGcMBSOHDkFgDlRXI60niQMUmT-0XIzI1ZVxV9BHOnlIK1CKjY8KurLRQ_md7bC6psyTf2UUuhvjXnTNzjZuT/s640/IMG_0573.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And then doodle whatever you want. I mean, I was just going to write two simple words. It gets out of hand.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3a3hrP3nslk-Zr9d38IFsHfVptRlrkn5CvQyvx6vQlTo-o7qbpF4o6OJOdlqKtQ1_7VFZzUkffAdm2bj4eSpNvfzpmyPo-yZBe4j86XaN-U7ZaQD56VGhKD8xx1YGXGBZYYTenRVnjnu/s1600/baby+picture+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="make a baby book" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3a3hrP3nslk-Zr9d38IFsHfVptRlrkn5CvQyvx6vQlTo-o7qbpF4o6OJOdlqKtQ1_7VFZzUkffAdm2bj4eSpNvfzpmyPo-yZBe4j86XaN-U7ZaQD56VGhKD8xx1YGXGBZYYTenRVnjnu/s640/baby+picture+book.jpg" title="How to make an easy customized baby book. Toddlers love these and they are so fun to make!" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I put a bunch of different pictures of family on the inside. You can make these however you want. It's so fun.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUnW8J1qncVEo5rP6UjonkmAw8ANWWd3tENTAVV3rAPIRdeAGqiwQTWsYKdLu9bLPEN9YDNa11_uaC9SGCA2CvvuMik0U8YQfZdEjrp0fp_oCxuhhrPMraXF1tvE_8VWCGqUXTsUx_KXe/s1600/create-a-baby-picture-book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUnW8J1qncVEo5rP6UjonkmAw8ANWWd3tENTAVV3rAPIRdeAGqiwQTWsYKdLu9bLPEN9YDNa11_uaC9SGCA2CvvuMik0U8YQfZdEjrp0fp_oCxuhhrPMraXF1tvE_8VWCGqUXTsUx_KXe/s640/create-a-baby-picture-book.jpg" title="How to make an easy customized baby book. Toddlers love these and they are so fun to make!" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm not even done with this one yet, but I did start to label it. I didn't get finished with it last night, and she saw it this morning and went crazy until she had it in her little toddler hands. And now I am writing a blog post during her nap time, so maybe tonight I will finish it. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Saturday night at 33, man.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeN4Z5nO444IX0HlAkFRaJO4LTYDPhR7PpqXUiwnU3Q-Y0eE1K7zxPBGvr2k8To2rFOzTlLkoxf_BeEn8YZfCLfJfDOj2E1BJuM8vS81vESZyt0pNmb4JYJKdR7S19wBVbyBhIBMI9Hum/s1600/baby+photo+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="personalized baby book" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeN4Z5nO444IX0HlAkFRaJO4LTYDPhR7PpqXUiwnU3Q-Y0eE1K7zxPBGvr2k8To2rFOzTlLkoxf_BeEn8YZfCLfJfDOj2E1BJuM8vS81vESZyt0pNmb4JYJKdR7S19wBVbyBhIBMI9Hum/s640/baby+photo+books.jpg" title="How to make an easy customized baby book. Toddlers love these and they are so fun to make!" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Anyway, she loves it so much. I'm gonna make like 10 of them. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LEg5wfIg-_RnIhrij4pmf5f6i_-x3QMt6cq3vjTcuMfl-LEA1uzDWrC0RQRwMa55AuNJP5V4pk6THchhzvcOAnm0tf6iyD729Dq1GqhitMPKVRdYN7pODOjUdvnHnOwNTk0oq74b-N8C/s1600/IMG_0615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LEg5wfIg-_RnIhrij4pmf5f6i_-x3QMt6cq3vjTcuMfl-LEA1uzDWrC0RQRwMa55AuNJP5V4pk6THchhzvcOAnm0tf6iyD729Dq1GqhitMPKVRdYN7pODOjUdvnHnOwNTk0oq74b-N8C/s640/IMG_0615.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hope this answers your questions! Quickest blog post I've ever written. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">xo,</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3L7dddcXf9nAbnVsNX6fKhdioX02gJDEjeH5U5rlMWodF5fwRzbP-XT5CKtjQa0idybz-js6MkJB40KmF_LLbuXGQZik8DrLKnPdj8uH2a1CdVd7eeR1H5xkQaPt9X3FGVjNeW2H_gQg/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3L7dddcXf9nAbnVsNX6fKhdioX02gJDEjeH5U5rlMWodF5fwRzbP-XT5CKtjQa0idybz-js6MkJB40KmF_LLbuXGQZik8DrLKnPdj8uH2a1CdVd7eeR1H5xkQaPt9X3FGVjNeW2H_gQg/s1600/signature.png" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfi1GElT9uoVWwNrPmcxlLr01Dawk-iCrWcn2F55A4J8gSjkYBaLGip084wjMVGRHRHwPmBawFS7ZkzMmjcggvP3D_RU-ZoXCTcdFg-E-llFThrkp8WcBvuCxKGpg54cswUml3VTW43qa/s1600/make-a-baby-book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="custom baby book" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfi1GElT9uoVWwNrPmcxlLr01Dawk-iCrWcn2F55A4J8gSjkYBaLGip084wjMVGRHRHwPmBawFS7ZkzMmjcggvP3D_RU-ZoXCTcdFg-E-llFThrkp8WcBvuCxKGpg54cswUml3VTW43qa/s640/make-a-baby-book.jpg" title="How to make an easy customized baby book. Toddlers love these and they are so fun to make!" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-91498006663721599312017-02-09T19:20:00.000-05:002017-03-15T21:49:33.746-04:00Our new hardwood flooring and a living room reveal!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJKvDDZ-q518fcwU4jmcfLnEIHU8Dy9tVDPrw2PsdZDcWQMiMY9ijGe-JeRxbSb120dE4DilwrVjCAMtGGQiPnmETzdOj70yQjNYwyqstfmGWbriVCD6JwdYkVOBbMdKPz7TlCcOiEV3k/s1600/decorating-tips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJKvDDZ-q518fcwU4jmcfLnEIHU8Dy9tVDPrw2PsdZDcWQMiMY9ijGe-JeRxbSb120dE4DilwrVjCAMtGGQiPnmETzdOj70yQjNYwyqstfmGWbriVCD6JwdYkVOBbMdKPz7TlCcOiEV3k/s640/decorating-tips.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hey y'all! Thank you so much for all of your thoughtful, wonderful comments on the last <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2017/01/our-kitchen-makeover-mistakes-and.html">post</a> about the kitchen makeover. I can't adequately express how much it means that you take the time to read my blog. I was so nervous to share the kitchen, because I had put so much energy into it, and I tend to suffer from lack-of-confidence syndrome. So, thank you for such sweet feedback. If you missed the kitchen reveal, you can go <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2017/01/our-kitchen-makeover-mistakes-and.html">here</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmz-870ZJaD-kIM9Qwj9eMKJJUMKuOSVg0xniWLGlTBYyP-_XFIDlch4BhRIFPWoTxi6vij6eDRtMBHlEdE3FtWhMQuut7j6olO1SXQ9AXTo1N9WN6ZcgUi7NR-A_K1KjUsCxrR77zo0D/s1600/kitchen-makeover-quartz-countertops-white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmz-870ZJaD-kIM9Qwj9eMKJJUMKuOSVg0xniWLGlTBYyP-_XFIDlch4BhRIFPWoTxi6vij6eDRtMBHlEdE3FtWhMQuut7j6olO1SXQ9AXTo1N9WN6ZcgUi7NR-A_K1KjUsCxrR77zo0D/s640/kitchen-makeover-quartz-countertops-white.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Also, I know that in that last post I made it sound like I would be sharing the flooring reveal soon, and then it took me three weeks to eek out another post. You guys, this is my life now. I make grand plans to do things, and then I am slapped back to down to earth with the reality that I have about an hour of productive time each day. And it's usually after 8pm, when I don't feel like being productive. The good news is that you guys seem to totally get it. I might not be alone in this struggle. Plus, for those of you following me on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/livelovediy">Instagram</a>, you've been watching me spend nearly all of my free time making art, and it's really becoming a new thing I am loving to do, and I'm not really sure what I am doing or where it is going, but I think I will blog about it in my next post. Just wanted to quickly update you on that. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyway, today is the day: flooring, living room, and dining room reveal....let's do it!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are a few before pics from when we bought the house. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It wasn't awful, it just felt so dated. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So Tuscan-inspired. So soul crushing. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I kid. It's not that bad. But it is. You understand.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-X5rA9-sz3Xyxvvqg5ibHZzDPMmkYqnhPSntQeVN06041WnCnp1_bG8eRzEZv8I7X9CAdyB-YPuEeIxdzH8O9lW491dZ4Gn4vADgyVyU8wb-cxMgXDML40rgs9xHmY4sscpx-1WoBlmeD/s1600/before+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-X5rA9-sz3Xyxvvqg5ibHZzDPMmkYqnhPSntQeVN06041WnCnp1_bG8eRzEZv8I7X9CAdyB-YPuEeIxdzH8O9lW491dZ4Gn4vADgyVyU8wb-cxMgXDML40rgs9xHmY4sscpx-1WoBlmeD/s640/before+2.JPG" width="570" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The flooring was a mixture of skinny bright orange hardwood and some awful brown tile in the kitchen and bathrooms.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitn6Blk_DFe8sSyoLhIDKGqGHVld_RCkD8CgkrkZfxxSHcYeyieqgi2WZe7a8NnUyGPC2ODDMiixSARVjmQAQb59XNev1BcDzuRdWgtMntUGTUvmEK3dERLgqkWoXfYZEY6iEcE6K6z8kV/s1600/before+12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitn6Blk_DFe8sSyoLhIDKGqGHVld_RCkD8CgkrkZfxxSHcYeyieqgi2WZe7a8NnUyGPC2ODDMiixSARVjmQAQb59XNev1BcDzuRdWgtMntUGTUvmEK3dERLgqkWoXfYZEY6iEcE6K6z8kV/s640/before+12.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I thought about keeping the existing hardwoods and just running them through the rest of the house. Everyone told me to keep them and just refinish them. Everyone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jesse was good about reminding me to listen to myself. I am really good at letting others drown me out sometimes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0z5dZDtmdsqIiYBxhCult2wUrO9irYZnXAqBxj7np2XPWE7u9fYSQXEKXZa-df77lKeMcrEMowykaa0LmCOygA0WJLSslwTtmNhV7PQCqsn-pE_k7_LuTc9mrM0aHWg5S__Y92MHRZtu/s1600/IMG_3485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0z5dZDtmdsqIiYBxhCult2wUrO9irYZnXAqBxj7np2XPWE7u9fYSQXEKXZa-df77lKeMcrEMowykaa0LmCOygA0WJLSslwTtmNhV7PQCqsn-pE_k7_LuTc9mrM0aHWg5S__Y92MHRZtu/s640/IMG_3485.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For about a month (while we were waiting on our contractor), I got a chance to live in the house, with some of our stuff, and just see how I felt. I went ahead and painted all of the walls white, and painted some of the woodwork, and the more I worked on stuff, the more my vision came together in my head.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I started bringing in floor samples. And that ultimately helped me make a decision.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I think it could have been beautiful either way, but I'm glad I went with what I really wanted, which was wide plank flooring.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTVchHbnJYF0ScR8JHNTb8SMn7hJFpxhEupZaDVYgBWtEWxtJmR-hqmTXDLxNHSw5GC-Sojct6__dodmx0Lyp7POJuVtbBJk-yEoHfCzod4UEPARPJVO3a_MXuxPlfAyfzmYN-3nDz3Et/s1600/DSC01683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTVchHbnJYF0ScR8JHNTb8SMn7hJFpxhEupZaDVYgBWtEWxtJmR-hqmTXDLxNHSw5GC-Sojct6__dodmx0Lyp7POJuVtbBJk-yEoHfCzod4UEPARPJVO3a_MXuxPlfAyfzmYN-3nDz3Et/s640/DSC01683.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here are a few more before pics. These are from before I painted the walls.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguL40zu-RAYyOocomwmfu-76Rt1TKG3GZJxN0NciLeuzVKZniaPLVyVQX1ZJ0aKJ9f4sci97ai4UnC0YvjqsdcY_YS2L9YeBqEy_DKH3WIaX3WKdEICnUOFDHV7NpihciFOnptuZjltJ3N/s1600/IMG_3456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguL40zu-RAYyOocomwmfu-76Rt1TKG3GZJxN0NciLeuzVKZniaPLVyVQX1ZJ0aKJ9f4sci97ai4UnC0YvjqsdcY_YS2L9YeBqEy_DKH3WIaX3WKdEICnUOFDHV7NpihciFOnptuZjltJ3N/s640/IMG_3456.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Remember that annoying coat closet right by the front door?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQfy6N_WVUufdgB3Zugv2tLYbSOrkjK0rL5fomOQdo3NtkPqRNzHgaAbVwRtnH7cRKzeHIzlDtgBrDSbfTRdapwVxznjeinjArw4ZY8FWnHrabw-IAZ0ohs75BaH41eN_j1ZiCutHkXGUk/s1600/before+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQfy6N_WVUufdgB3Zugv2tLYbSOrkjK0rL5fomOQdo3NtkPqRNzHgaAbVwRtnH7cRKzeHIzlDtgBrDSbfTRdapwVxznjeinjArw4ZY8FWnHrabw-IAZ0ohs75BaH41eN_j1ZiCutHkXGUk/s640/before+3.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It kind of cut the dining room off from the rest of the room, and although it provided storage, it just felt off to me.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNPdrdZ6E1A1nFgqavoDD8paZ5VJKzKZXBElf_fOWgj2y-voVaFo2xYDJZFi4ua3I_Ge99OhHkr-ML5j5TS53DUi-LYPfRmHVn2z6Ax_1u9iK6LhPOQDBASovOpwToGafBFWBg-2h4rxL/s1600/before+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNPdrdZ6E1A1nFgqavoDD8paZ5VJKzKZXBElf_fOWgj2y-voVaFo2xYDJZFi4ua3I_Ge99OhHkr-ML5j5TS53DUi-LYPfRmHVn2z6Ax_1u9iK6LhPOQDBASovOpwToGafBFWBg-2h4rxL/s640/before+1.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">See how much it just eats into the room?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmK8NSnVgL5HCdpQUwAvrFQHCCJf3PF_DQ0Yd8JoamxFsvy4dRJrHjB7I9dhZ_CVFYiEAU75KQrpOlQ0EnRhCTnOi41gK7DPeYPFB9zbtXqfNxD85gxVtVdQLo3PPcRLN2YwjsCwKoJjp/s1600/IMG_3459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmK8NSnVgL5HCdpQUwAvrFQHCCJf3PF_DQ0Yd8JoamxFsvy4dRJrHjB7I9dhZ_CVFYiEAU75KQrpOlQ0EnRhCTnOi41gK7DPeYPFB9zbtXqfNxD85gxVtVdQLo3PPcRLN2YwjsCwKoJjp/s640/IMG_3459.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I made the decision to remove the closet, and I am so glad we did. It resulted in some additional drywall and trim work, but it was worth it. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNQL_xCJFj3FRoKTtf-TR6NrIi169tMib9O6K6ClftMiutCOtZfZ-U9hKGaiuZbwK2_FyTjpy3cpbhV2Oce7hr9G87EkM4yil5mWtpLZFAbvoJQ0sQR0tuI8Pg3p51X2bIAQs8NJLKOtd/s1600/hardwood-flooring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNQL_xCJFj3FRoKTtf-TR6NrIi169tMib9O6K6ClftMiutCOtZfZ-U9hKGaiuZbwK2_FyTjpy3cpbhV2Oce7hr9G87EkM4yil5mWtpLZFAbvoJQ0sQR0tuI8Pg3p51X2bIAQs8NJLKOtd/s640/hardwood-flooring.jpg" width="570" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The original hardwoods weren't run under the closet, so that would have been an issue that we would have had to patch if we had chosen to keep them, so minor headache avoided. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Right around this time, I also painted the front door black (Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze) and updated the chandelier in the dining room. It was from Lowe's. I used them in my last house, too. Nothing fancy, not expensive, just a nice clean update.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYByhCLTgBdeFaRNJhmxoeAoSfjbF_xpn1Fe9nFMXQck02VwY8raDCA6i6wRxP7eSvTcG37i0Fc4uYlAp85-BAtBPixXF6SwDgOTZdL1OuwAOCc1Ux1kZEhuGGq8Fa4JVmqUQyKldgzGHE/s1600/hardwood-floors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYByhCLTgBdeFaRNJhmxoeAoSfjbF_xpn1Fe9nFMXQck02VwY8raDCA6i6wRxP7eSvTcG37i0Fc4uYlAp85-BAtBPixXF6SwDgOTZdL1OuwAOCc1Ux1kZEhuGGq8Fa4JVmqUQyKldgzGHE/s640/hardwood-floors.jpg" width="428" /></span></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The previous wainscotting was just painted on for the most part, so that got removed. I think I mentioned this before, but I didn't intend to tear it down just yet. I was going to just live with it until Jesse had time to rebuild it, and then Jesse told the contractor to just go ahead and tear it off, and I came home one day and was like, crap. Time to drop everything you're doing and build some wainscotting, Jesse! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Of course, the actual timeline was something like: Move in with my mom for 6 weeks while entire house gets torn apart. Pop in and out of house biweekly to take photographs and make sure things are going as planned. Move back into house when flooring and kitchen is done. Nag Jesse to start building wainscotting 48 hours after moving back in. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwitUlWzjDJ3L25AfCLcAQvvQLhqYXwQRbL14IktasXbUw9URxwAjhjqzwGSpvLDwRymzVSbeWgmNzIBuSyv3EH7lqPTaWnvLxOZBAXRBhvvRFcwqXPFltSjRGtmHriuXKC02ayxOfFUXF/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwitUlWzjDJ3L25AfCLcAQvvQLhqYXwQRbL14IktasXbUw9URxwAjhjqzwGSpvLDwRymzVSbeWgmNzIBuSyv3EH7lqPTaWnvLxOZBAXRBhvvRFcwqXPFltSjRGtmHriuXKC02ayxOfFUXF/s640/16.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, back to the flooring. Before the contractors starting demo-ing everything and we had to move out for 6 weeks, Ava and I would go to flooring stores during the day and haul a bunch of giant samples home. Not an easy feat to do with a toddler. Luckily, people are nice and will usually help you lift stuff into your car when they see you trying to also wrangle a tiny toddler beast.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I brought home all sorts of different samples, probably 20+, and there were all sorts of widths and colors and finishes. Ultimately, we narrowed it down to three choices that we loved the most, all of which were a very light wash, wide plank hardwood.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMBTicgAZCDrMvgYFQz4johnb8axPq_Y2_Oe7p-E_EWZ7Gx1XKDcu5pKqVab5_66C6L-Gsrjkz-AB-3FFOICrftVMeCTrgPtvPbLABzQqaPZ3NtbphptVyHyB8u0T49o0wSmjBGLIpBkn/s1600/hardwood-flooring-installation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMBTicgAZCDrMvgYFQz4johnb8axPq_Y2_Oe7p-E_EWZ7Gx1XKDcu5pKqVab5_66C6L-Gsrjkz-AB-3FFOICrftVMeCTrgPtvPbLABzQqaPZ3NtbphptVyHyB8u0T49o0wSmjBGLIpBkn/s640/hardwood-flooring-installation.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ava was a very good assistant during this time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHARte2iRyOwpUp6CtsmeVoB2DNcvNFs8rJlSKyVfKdF3cw5CYb5vepdUOmxBk2l8uze8oOIcEPFyLM9tvWkWC9uz3KvVTSubTi42_q3YpTNcDx_ZA28J70RcJmkl3joKtQLfnmbs5Zdi/s1600/hardwood-flooring-tips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHARte2iRyOwpUp6CtsmeVoB2DNcvNFs8rJlSKyVfKdF3cw5CYb5vepdUOmxBk2l8uze8oOIcEPFyLM9tvWkWC9uz3KvVTSubTi42_q3YpTNcDx_ZA28J70RcJmkl3joKtQLfnmbs5Zdi/s640/hardwood-flooring-tips.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For weeks, I just lugged the samples around the house, squinting at them. And of course, the one I ultimately chose was the one I picked out and brought home first. I never trust my gut right off the bat. It's annoying.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The ultimate winner was Provence Manor European White Oak in River Rock in the 7.5 inch plank. We got them from Heartland Flooring in Knoxville. I've gotten flooring from them twice now, and I highly recommend them. And no, that is not an ad. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">They have no idea I even exist.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDYvblp4qmt86N6aTiI1iqPkvW7d03Vj0t4ka5CzzHouwe0ZpsLVX33crgF1s_GVY_YlIud91C-jnmse7K8-KPYkBXakmX6kCHft07o0zS3EQpllD12DQb2ntFRo2faB3aU5mAiO5dumT/s1600/IMG_3762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDYvblp4qmt86N6aTiI1iqPkvW7d03Vj0t4ka5CzzHouwe0ZpsLVX33crgF1s_GVY_YlIud91C-jnmse7K8-KPYkBXakmX6kCHft07o0zS3EQpllD12DQb2ntFRo2faB3aU5mAiO5dumT/s640/IMG_3762.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once the old flooring was gutted, we discovered that all of the subfloors needed to be replaced. The old ones were in really poor shape and there was even some rot (likely from water damage in the past). It was one of those annoying things you don't know is wrong until you start ripping stuff out. So, that bought us an extra week at my mom's house and cost us more money. That's how it goes with renovations, I have discovered.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjud-1C3AO2Xtelw1U-abDGjRu017c7jlj8Nis7D84rs_gspPDeLoQxcBz6ecmsPxcbsbquMkvDpOCgJ63GPVrMrfk1oOnIqMELbZYyrteblTjNeOudPOJ_mgkyyf3BpgQXJGHQkWP3_0r3/s1600/DSC01714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjud-1C3AO2Xtelw1U-abDGjRu017c7jlj8Nis7D84rs_gspPDeLoQxcBz6ecmsPxcbsbquMkvDpOCgJ63GPVrMrfk1oOnIqMELbZYyrteblTjNeOudPOJ_mgkyyf3BpgQXJGHQkWP3_0r3/s640/DSC01714.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All of the trim was off everywhere and everything was a bi</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t of a disaster, but I was so excited by the progress. The lighting is terrible in all of these photos, but just roll with it.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65_v1npixhU78kwgfxk7W662RKlNkKwps9LbrfFJ_8yi-5ij_W21Ltj7II7xrVMZxOhXXUypivzcbGJzasy6b_jYekjGsjcOdjwU1gmO9E4LGD7C75PPZUO05A7k0eAl8qOvbBI_WKrMa/s1600/DSC01715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65_v1npixhU78kwgfxk7W662RKlNkKwps9LbrfFJ_8yi-5ij_W21Ltj7II7xrVMZxOhXXUypivzcbGJzasy6b_jYekjGsjcOdjwU1gmO9E4LGD7C75PPZUO05A7k0eAl8qOvbBI_WKrMa/s640/DSC01715.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've loved these floors from the minute they went in. The main level of the house is kinda small, and I just wanted everything to be light and airy so that it would feel more open. I love dark, warm floors, too, but I know myself, and I knew that these floors were the way to go.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQudUzU31pdqlanBSDjrjuaoMiudLhvPtR7euKXb24KTXRlZfVYqIhrFlU90hUTZRv-ZVhMrB6prjawnDrnfMc4YJdky71E0SMCU_VPX633blLfe1rapIj5ywwnPFgUr4j3WhyKpZox_f5/s1600/DSC01716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQudUzU31pdqlanBSDjrjuaoMiudLhvPtR7euKXb24KTXRlZfVYqIhrFlU90hUTZRv-ZVhMrB6prjawnDrnfMc4YJdky71E0SMCU_VPX633blLfe1rapIj5ywwnPFgUr4j3WhyKpZox_f5/s640/DSC01716.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's fun to look back through all of these photos, because even though it seems like yesterday to me, it was really almost half a year ago now, which is a lot of time when you have a toddler. She already seems so little in that photo.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLV_Jtp_SIiXBPLHzHbY2T7E9tFkQJQcxgcKdc54PxvEFbMa-cfr8gYsOh8_oF4XBJaYtfe_vmpf0wkt_-Vizq7w960_1MOT1WvV-OJ-TIchzUvyOfiy3QP1rxIBeSBYKFx3COhiteCECw/s1600/IMG_5415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLV_Jtp_SIiXBPLHzHbY2T7E9tFkQJQcxgcKdc54PxvEFbMa-cfr8gYsOh8_oF4XBJaYtfe_vmpf0wkt_-Vizq7w960_1MOT1WvV-OJ-TIchzUvyOfiy3QP1rxIBeSBYKFx3COhiteCECw/s640/IMG_5415.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, once the flooring was done, we moved back in and Jesse began working on the wainscotting. We didn't build the wainscotting in the old house (I just painted it), but I wanted a similar look, and Jesse assured me he could build it. He's handy and never afraid to tackle a project, even if he's never done anything like it before. It's a blessing and a curse. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mostly a blessing.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtEbYvVR-GxkRZOvSiFN_7mVKTLaTomP6GNgeVxGAbc8SjTRdOCSIa5XJY3x_HFRsR8KIiZzzfKAzamQ-CRMaRXflVQ77WtCtzfwUOIVeT8PFw3tVpkqgXRYsNAY_-nPtQUUFWe9J5y73/s1600/IMG_6120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtEbYvVR-GxkRZOvSiFN_7mVKTLaTomP6GNgeVxGAbc8SjTRdOCSIa5XJY3x_HFRsR8KIiZzzfKAzamQ-CRMaRXflVQ77WtCtzfwUOIVeT8PFw3tVpkqgXRYsNAY_-nPtQUUFWe9J5y73/s640/IMG_6120.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I think he regretted his decision about 7 hours into this project. Also, we were using this cheap wood to build the wainscotting so it looked awful going up. I knew we were going to paint it, so it really just made me laugh. Like, are we building a trailer? Jesse, I feel like it's trailer paneling. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3sAMsF8HV0pfC3k6dhdT_WZ6SHgzungtmZpUYsreFu8LubQ0D2BnpWVFunjIJ8mb8tkwaMgLov8imRCEBTSx5zJxyBDMwMJM0ywTAGqa2nk4_wvkAEDhM48y3HwdyZm5eHJ96qzDpK4w6/s1600/IMG_6148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3sAMsF8HV0pfC3k6dhdT_WZ6SHgzungtmZpUYsreFu8LubQ0D2BnpWVFunjIJ8mb8tkwaMgLov8imRCEBTSx5zJxyBDMwMJM0ywTAGqa2nk4_wvkAEDhM48y3HwdyZm5eHJ96qzDpK4w6/s640/IMG_6148.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And of course, we had to do it during the day so that we had daylight, and Ava was the MOST helpful.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nope.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlEbtNQLfE-PXp9OJX9ifkPAEzhx8WOyJGzdHeO4PCHlqx5py96PCzW-tQbj7ytgJyf0N-Ehw9A5bXe6qe5KK5KG7bjwp5cNxBXCG37ReueDnPdLz6TcYwBwUBLFNL2Nb6W-YKcGZHxBNU/s1600/IMG_6150+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlEbtNQLfE-PXp9OJX9ifkPAEzhx8WOyJGzdHeO4PCHlqx5py96PCzW-tQbj7ytgJyf0N-Ehw9A5bXe6qe5KK5KG7bjwp5cNxBXCG37ReueDnPdLz6TcYwBwUBLFNL2Nb6W-YKcGZHxBNU/s640/IMG_6150+copy.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jesse ultimately ended up modifying my design for simplicity's sake, which I was in full support of at this point. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And even though it wasn't painted yet, I was proud of his handiwork. Not too shabby for someone who was just like, sure, I'll figure it out. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmlctq17__rqik_cWZSGf664rY9F9HCwmA_iCLl997tl5kNxeC8ugDl7LpsvWA_qhPfAgKvBZtvTNzfoxJSpYJGxadD1RRKqoZJsk2Aj8lYTUakiqi7YDTSeAZjVuDsY8Lz_HdFaUcQH86/s1600/IMG_6253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmlctq17__rqik_cWZSGf664rY9F9HCwmA_iCLl997tl5kNxeC8ugDl7LpsvWA_qhPfAgKvBZtvTNzfoxJSpYJGxadD1RRKqoZJsk2Aj8lYTUakiqi7YDTSeAZjVuDsY8Lz_HdFaUcQH86/s640/IMG_6253.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once Jesse was done with his part, I agreed to caulk and paint it, and so it sat like this, driving me nuts for a few days. Because mama tired.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZtFZugWhIbVzGmyPozz81-KhggCmZDHMKJWMnAr1tUwJqGSw_WHe8o-S3umM9DbCG4jboogY7icmiauYPST35dXOVo-GOhZneQqs-tpaaP6WAtC323rU-d2TZxk3NthC4ORF95AEZ7Fa/s1600/IMG_6261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZtFZugWhIbVzGmyPozz81-KhggCmZDHMKJWMnAr1tUwJqGSw_WHe8o-S3umM9DbCG4jboogY7icmiauYPST35dXOVo-GOhZneQqs-tpaaP6WAtC323rU-d2TZxk3NthC4ORF95AEZ7Fa/s640/IMG_6261.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We learned a lot about how to do this and we could surely do it better and easier if we did it again, but this will live here on this wall until end times.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Eventually, I primed and painted it, and it took so many coats of paint. It is what it is.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eIyn9fXNGnMoRqZRAZyS14Muj_-HkZEr4K5vyyUqjuR-csI2nMWVZp09AVYnDOGmNyEUYnB8E21Nvhx18Sh_iZDbvO5T3kT5HNrzuHMzJlFnJc036Vx2JpkQy7QD6bLrj-brPIkp58CV/s1600/IMG_6398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eIyn9fXNGnMoRqZRAZyS14Muj_-HkZEr4K5vyyUqjuR-csI2nMWVZp09AVYnDOGmNyEUYnB8E21Nvhx18Sh_iZDbvO5T3kT5HNrzuHMzJlFnJc036Vx2JpkQy7QD6bLrj-brPIkp58CV/s640/IMG_6398.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But there are few things more fulfilling that when you get to that point in a project where you can finally see your vision come to life and you want to cry and laugh and never do any of the things ever again.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It happens with every project I do. The exhaustion, the joy.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq28OdpsR_c9dHokkMwcm5tsENQOuiYBhrTAbnjQzf8-8_6pUAN0kkj6vNdjz9TjkmBPJRkY7WjDFFUejnv8wtM_F-U2HAtuhfvPR6-NwIlp1KuKJGYytKkaQ0Vc5Ne2BEIwsIgyhbhV_a/s1600/IMG_6442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq28OdpsR_c9dHokkMwcm5tsENQOuiYBhrTAbnjQzf8-8_6pUAN0kkj6vNdjz9TjkmBPJRkY7WjDFFUejnv8wtM_F-U2HAtuhfvPR6-NwIlp1KuKJGYytKkaQ0Vc5Ne2BEIwsIgyhbhV_a/s640/IMG_6442.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And, that's the wainscotting segment of this post.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN08uuSGbTHCHbWmUfRd7JhYGfGiGZbZ6XV1V8HAedJlEJUWMcPo8c_BIiNls-j2WDraTZ8I9ndum2KRhIZ5v2ad8Irmeac21jAHUVIgmqrXu645gYO9vBR51P0kVnWdFVR620Mkmz9scM/s1600/hardwood-floors-light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN08uuSGbTHCHbWmUfRd7JhYGfGiGZbZ6XV1V8HAedJlEJUWMcPo8c_BIiNls-j2WDraTZ8I9ndum2KRhIZ5v2ad8Irmeac21jAHUVIgmqrXu645gYO9vBR51P0kVnWdFVR620Mkmz9scM/s640/hardwood-floors-light.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We eventually moved our table back in around Christmas, just in time for Ava to help me decorate.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSaUMxg8bvXlmX1WQpVBD90gDDZWOAIcGoMmYo2TTamy_Y9O6mgdGHuLajn_Wv0NH7TFX8oCepclsVd-EPVKgNA_-PnItDxlN-BaC7OUpEM_KWdkvm8PuKIiw0fvrR-9WI5iAc-ztQeTT8/s1600/IMG_7415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSaUMxg8bvXlmX1WQpVBD90gDDZWOAIcGoMmYo2TTamy_Y9O6mgdGHuLajn_Wv0NH7TFX8oCepclsVd-EPVKgNA_-PnItDxlN-BaC7OUpEM_KWdkvm8PuKIiw0fvrR-9WI5iAc-ztQeTT8/s640/IMG_7415.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My brother, Mathias, came home from the Navy around New Year's and helped me hang curtains. He's quite handy and also restless, and every time he comes home, he's like 'What can I build?.'</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Curtains, son. Build me curtains.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_nINkRPX9Hb-mcWzXHKOURh7U_S2vIdsfImH2ggMx0cl_AM5OKBMonJ6Edtaktm_1IklYh3WUzWKf2L56DgCObEtOv-O__719slne_pThdgezc1JvbWFz_YoS8611IrMGBurpd_H_ccRS/s1600/IMG_8582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_nINkRPX9Hb-mcWzXHKOURh7U_S2vIdsfImH2ggMx0cl_AM5OKBMonJ6Edtaktm_1IklYh3WUzWKf2L56DgCObEtOv-O__719slne_pThdgezc1JvbWFz_YoS8611IrMGBurpd_H_ccRS/s640/IMG_8582.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hung them all the way up to the ceiling and I swear it makes the biggest difference of anything I did. Isn't that annoying.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaZOOCUI61AUvFYUjah_7gjU8r50f_QYmdtMiA1AJZpkrpAfDlNtUshLovJjTcl15w8LapoPlkTEm4FbUT6dNRD70kVWaULRw-sVe-M-lNCEsyjdGMtdU_Y8LjYe1od9AY7YLXzcz21zq/s1600/decorating-tricks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaZOOCUI61AUvFYUjah_7gjU8r50f_QYmdtMiA1AJZpkrpAfDlNtUshLovJjTcl15w8LapoPlkTEm4FbUT6dNRD70kVWaULRw-sVe-M-lNCEsyjdGMtdU_Y8LjYe1od9AY7YLXzcz21zq/s640/decorating-tricks.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I painted that old <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/06/how-to-paint-furniture-with-chalk-paint.html">thrift store TV stand</a> with some chalk paint (I used Rustoleum chalk paint in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YSK2FS8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00YSK2FS8&linkCode=as2&tag=li0a6a-20&linkId=eddffc1be7ee9459f005653e4daa99a9" target="_blank">Country Gray</a>, and I love the color. That's an affiliate link). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I like the new color so much better than the white. Looks more adult-ey.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoknjR6tPZGHRR7AyQa3H4W0Sm0UR-ZlElVVdGhQWWlwTCaINd8f_S7mMfMzRrhn-J2jXaFWyQO2NgygirmEHpCJ9ZuFxJjAV-U8HQCOPXjG94RdaDHI_YM9GLo_SlyPhdbNzg3YJLaGw/s1600/how-to-paint-furniture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoknjR6tPZGHRR7AyQa3H4W0Sm0UR-ZlElVVdGhQWWlwTCaINd8f_S7mMfMzRrhn-J2jXaFWyQO2NgygirmEHpCJ9ZuFxJjAV-U8HQCOPXjG94RdaDHI_YM9GLo_SlyPhdbNzg3YJLaGw/s640/how-to-paint-furniture.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are a few more photos of the room.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgftcFvsFGHhQ2jmmfRieYcjL55P2hL6655TNyUss_4XrCZss8A5OHy1yTW5jsV6qlFZnjrP6GVHZPB_PoIeQXTGw3OAaDrEXpIv2n5EYlMFptqn3VMVFPHdYRGRSt-lrpdv1A3IWMme98r/s1600/easy-decorating-ideas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgftcFvsFGHhQ2jmmfRieYcjL55P2hL6655TNyUss_4XrCZss8A5OHy1yTW5jsV6qlFZnjrP6GVHZPB_PoIeQXTGw3OAaDrEXpIv2n5EYlMFptqn3VMVFPHdYRGRSt-lrpdv1A3IWMme98r/s640/easy-decorating-ideas.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Real talk, I moved Ava's rocker in here because, comfort. And there are toddler toys everywhere. And I wouldn't have it any other way. If you look closely, you can see Ava sitting in the window, reading a book, behind the curtains. My living room has never been a happier place in all my life.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqDzSUrWszeszRAE3T2cUH-8tH_cd0JjqHomlO-n-c639sBkUuXvpLiGvuBcYKl93mD2A39wSOkUL4Y1ELeAkPoVGGyZ_7oMS6_Wii8abpoQ8GNe_IiDF6U0Bc4LTyp-p9GyH0CCfVZ2C/s1600/extra-long-curtains.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqDzSUrWszeszRAE3T2cUH-8tH_cd0JjqHomlO-n-c639sBkUuXvpLiGvuBcYKl93mD2A39wSOkUL4Y1ELeAkPoVGGyZ_7oMS6_Wii8abpoQ8GNe_IiDF6U0Bc4LTyp-p9GyH0CCfVZ2C/s640/extra-long-curtains.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I bought this little wooden <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004672QYG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004672QYG&linkCode=as2&tag=li0a6a-20&linkId=368e33fbc740cad0a86eb8a638559216" target="_blank">toddler table</a> (affiliate link) and painted it to match our actual dining room set, and she literally spends half of her day at that table. I painted the top of the table with black chalkboard paint, and it's been a real hit.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKr_o1CbX8b5tALSfyRolZMRCX52tWL7nsYZuYQeQMDlKOe6Dzge5RE1P7tzfYGO53GKMzcDzLMvGe2yD-HUC2Mvwg2QP1psDJsjHgzyLuU0c9lPYqnQ9Wh0nwb7WGXFFPSWrhgEACbSoP/s1600/ikea-toddler-table.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKr_o1CbX8b5tALSfyRolZMRCX52tWL7nsYZuYQeQMDlKOe6Dzge5RE1P7tzfYGO53GKMzcDzLMvGe2yD-HUC2Mvwg2QP1psDJsjHgzyLuU0c9lPYqnQ9Wh0nwb7WGXFFPSWrhgEACbSoP/s640/ikea-toddler-table.JPG" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also made some more gold leaf art for the living room. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiEcFilXzwSF03wJulwK2QzjooDrGjSJK3XhDiQvmzi7MKjINI18bo7jcg5h3Dov3rzudkf_y7Iyt-2rgwwYY0vessmm2QS5jG8p7rAnKAwBeicVmYGl_yiJCvBgx8_aiLMADkqf4upxZ/s1600/decorating-tips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiEcFilXzwSF03wJulwK2QzjooDrGjSJK3XhDiQvmzi7MKjINI18bo7jcg5h3Dov3rzudkf_y7Iyt-2rgwwYY0vessmm2QS5jG8p7rAnKAwBeicVmYGl_yiJCvBgx8_aiLMADkqf4upxZ/s640/decorating-tips.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I shared a lot about it on Instagram, and a lot of you guys were asking for a tutorial.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZLAfl7kmud860fqsJyIiZaB6gzGWlDRcCSiFtV154D01xmB-aAki4mxtsBXmqHziDIBsoyF2xVfEx1RQor8yQHbLBjHYglyrLx6GwjqNba_qfz-J6ebjn_QrQlmLTLHbBcTi0oyry1WI/s1600/diy-decorating.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZLAfl7kmud860fqsJyIiZaB6gzGWlDRcCSiFtV154D01xmB-aAki4mxtsBXmqHziDIBsoyF2xVfEx1RQor8yQHbLBjHYglyrLx6GwjqNba_qfz-J6ebjn_QrQlmLTLHbBcTi0oyry1WI/s640/diy-decorating.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I don't think I'm going to do another tutorial right now, but I did a pretty thorough gold leaf art tutorial in this <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/08/diy-gold-leaf-art-round-two.html">post</a> from last year if you are curious. I shared a little bit about how we make the frame, too.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirs6kq6cpimF3BRwSw4cWWJB2c-dVqG9KOS_nIes0-obsia8ZMvc1FgoyH8-tS7jfnAbUfsWC8aCoxbHCYt4FkhNZFj0WCDd8Xd4ngJDTjZI20u0UaT50sexpps_Z41ZaS1JWYJPooU-YK/s1600/diy-art-ideas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirs6kq6cpimF3BRwSw4cWWJB2c-dVqG9KOS_nIes0-obsia8ZMvc1FgoyH8-tS7jfnAbUfsWC8aCoxbHCYt4FkhNZFj0WCDd8Xd4ngJDTjZI20u0UaT50sexpps_Z41ZaS1JWYJPooU-YK/s640/diy-art-ideas.JPG" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Anyway, kinda loving how that one turned out. I eventually want to do a big gallery wall right there, but for now, I need something simple that I can just put there and not fuss with. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's the dining room. I'm so happy that we took out that closet and went with the wide plank floors. I still have some work to do on this space, but I feel really good about it so far.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9pWhEte-qgcm585P5jEDaC5tq-YML5gdOBvdEECfLy5fowLF8kfaDsyAIDIBlD1y48Ge6OwljhlmztGkL42VlzEBaEy6VFbHNvNPF9tE5TrqcLdjDRk1yQtSfyxyEyujyDTnhGNrQTtoH/s1600/decorating-tips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9pWhEte-qgcm585P5jEDaC5tq-YML5gdOBvdEECfLy5fowLF8kfaDsyAIDIBlD1y48Ge6OwljhlmztGkL42VlzEBaEy6VFbHNvNPF9tE5TrqcLdjDRk1yQtSfyxyEyujyDTnhGNrQTtoH/s640/decorating-tips.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRn3nDmBInfG-C2Z5ssLnd47XXIs9DCw0Zpw2W-2EWB4rm2m5OC9hQ13NbZKE6ls3-dWAumIu7Xy7ahyphenhyphenbqqtdc30SKo0paf5OGCgLVcIRS4CJPhGp0JwH-9kgLIXzv1qlIKstPiqmEnjc/s1600/decorating-ideas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRn3nDmBInfG-C2Z5ssLnd47XXIs9DCw0Zpw2W-2EWB4rm2m5OC9hQ13NbZKE6ls3-dWAumIu7Xy7ahyphenhyphenbqqtdc30SKo0paf5OGCgLVcIRS4CJPhGp0JwH-9kgLIXzv1qlIKstPiqmEnjc/s640/decorating-ideas.JPG" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">That's an old thrift store mirror I painted. I eventually plan to hang some art in here, but baby steps.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihD-psT1FLA1ANOoEp_tedd0Vy520aBWwCltDPxPb4jl7YbZCZXiOZ0bhu5BhEF5z-81UDJYbLDEgUoxTReJbDCR-lg-xgccrNjx80ptHVT1o7fbFAa3G6ShOO6qPpMCGmGsC2vGE5SceB/s1600/decor-ideas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihD-psT1FLA1ANOoEp_tedd0Vy520aBWwCltDPxPb4jl7YbZCZXiOZ0bhu5BhEF5z-81UDJYbLDEgUoxTReJbDCR-lg-xgccrNjx80ptHVT1o7fbFAa3G6ShOO6qPpMCGmGsC2vGE5SceB/s640/decor-ideas.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So far my color palette is pretty neutral, per usual. I get the occasional comment from people telling me to use color. I get it. I really do. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But, I live here, and I have to do what makes me happy, which is neutral. I have enough hot pink and primary colors floating around my house right now in the form of toddler toys, so an otherwise neutral space feels so calming to me right now in this phase of life.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPK5EwAwWpCnCcoYZ50HfvWTe6SzkOTDdFP7wCk8BN47fK9e4Z3SD_90Q5KsDBcAuO1iZS5gBQNsIJ5Fxjwf7stB9QUliBzGBz5cJqpxi6x-IoIMscDmA076xa7biMxMAsfOQTxrfo44D9/s1600/gray-decor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPK5EwAwWpCnCcoYZ50HfvWTe6SzkOTDdFP7wCk8BN47fK9e4Z3SD_90Q5KsDBcAuO1iZS5gBQNsIJ5Fxjwf7stB9QUliBzGBz5cJqpxi6x-IoIMscDmA076xa7biMxMAsfOQTxrfo44D9/s640/gray-decor.JPG" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And the honest truth is that my passion for decorating just isn't what it used to be. Lately, I am really into this whole mom thing and also making art. And also still renovating and DIY-ing, but like, that's a lot different from decorating. Decorating has never been my specialty, and these days I find myself devoting way less energy to it. I try not to resist these changes, and just follow my interests, because I believe that as long as I'm doing that, life will lead me in the right direction.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvlMwY5MCqFLXtgXhfAmW1ZPaSD6k2HN4V10R3nhyphenhyphenaPLji7lMxOzhJ4ahvHAyI6FpZfqknq7DEXps8f6HWcA5YxlHJzEnC4l_b2aKouYSVslDr8_W0io9oqX8-aHOIotkFQFla1Ao1A_z/s1600/todller-table.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvlMwY5MCqFLXtgXhfAmW1ZPaSD6k2HN4V10R3nhyphenhyphenaPLji7lMxOzhJ4ahvHAyI6FpZfqknq7DEXps8f6HWcA5YxlHJzEnC4l_b2aKouYSVslDr8_W0io9oqX8-aHOIotkFQFla1Ao1A_z/s640/todller-table.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, before we go, let's compare a few before and after angles of this space so far.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Before:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhABB5lhsdgO_JMIPSmb3P4P6Ng1I4d6IOTmR1w7H1d-ySQgduhiUaivNtQ5l_K28ha4su0BIJtwvIgqyRpURcK7Y1yUWPqe7SO8irlqeWhDhTsCv6Nf0FgcnG00aMxuAHZ2STenBPr92AY/s1600/before+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhABB5lhsdgO_JMIPSmb3P4P6Ng1I4d6IOTmR1w7H1d-ySQgduhiUaivNtQ5l_K28ha4su0BIJtwvIgqyRpURcK7Y1yUWPqe7SO8irlqeWhDhTsCv6Nf0FgcnG00aMxuAHZ2STenBPr92AY/s640/before+2.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EO401_vBtJxPD2-UiTbRftCH-v2OrJNayrPe6apTwXOk6EfuT3jONir2EPOejl36U0-_p-OFxnAvpfcOvEXb0yQODY9_R8D7KMvILurxrGn3sc1SyJVQ-DQLO2N3HYS098dG41S6qSvv/s1600/diy-decorating.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EO401_vBtJxPD2-UiTbRftCH-v2OrJNayrPe6apTwXOk6EfuT3jONir2EPOejl36U0-_p-OFxnAvpfcOvEXb0yQODY9_R8D7KMvILurxrGn3sc1SyJVQ-DQLO2N3HYS098dG41S6qSvv/s640/diy-decorating.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Before:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBe0b8Wcj9Mg_sWgSa3aUETVPdy9MZ1nSdVTV6yhnJHhYb1bxLYzxp80G0TS3VBYyUWUHWC7CewcLkm0d9Zzr9wFMfnQdp30xGwPFMO6l3SWNd3O9m41QKanmgrFWyrIjyDQBmtiU2bvzP/s1600/IMG_3485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBe0b8Wcj9Mg_sWgSa3aUETVPdy9MZ1nSdVTV6yhnJHhYb1bxLYzxp80G0TS3VBYyUWUHWC7CewcLkm0d9Zzr9wFMfnQdp30xGwPFMO6l3SWNd3O9m41QKanmgrFWyrIjyDQBmtiU2bvzP/s640/IMG_3485.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwYKoMsAW24pyoiApzq7p7goDW75Q54-vHcsjHjq1l1HTTOIDkF8njuUlJ2If2iLHnOg1OrrBpDX4UOw9cZ7Lyg-HsXM6pkGxRO-MQt9GoS65EtQyDl2BW6NvvuOOA2rSr2iz4yuJPO4T/s1600/decorating-tricks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwYKoMsAW24pyoiApzq7p7goDW75Q54-vHcsjHjq1l1HTTOIDkF8njuUlJ2If2iLHnOg1OrrBpDX4UOw9cZ7Lyg-HsXM6pkGxRO-MQt9GoS65EtQyDl2BW6NvvuOOA2rSr2iz4yuJPO4T/s640/decorating-tricks.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Before:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3sKEZD2UXXd6PXNzST7dZIWlY7dZimBOJ4U1DXBneI3yqf5oHj6HqXjpLhM8_6I6Ef_qT2fxYCxLRceCUmHBefdCYeem0dM6LuIeumNcuh0OJ1K3-lonjXNBTGONjvjsAiSGSGuiBe5rQ/s1600/IMG_3459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3sKEZD2UXXd6PXNzST7dZIWlY7dZimBOJ4U1DXBneI3yqf5oHj6HqXjpLhM8_6I6Ef_qT2fxYCxLRceCUmHBefdCYeem0dM6LuIeumNcuh0OJ1K3-lonjXNBTGONjvjsAiSGSGuiBe5rQ/s640/IMG_3459.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaAfkTCBrsrdiu5Vv_lkn1QhvdkThZZWeRNYqVNylEkXIsxQefWiRq0rMct1IMAafuRuxPMSOaYNFW7xf9nv333QMvxacJPIkV0DDAEqBgALYpi3YJnuzWyQBGztvG6IDPHg9aj7QJMPiY/s1600/decorating-tips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaAfkTCBrsrdiu5Vv_lkn1QhvdkThZZWeRNYqVNylEkXIsxQefWiRq0rMct1IMAafuRuxPMSOaYNFW7xf9nv333QMvxacJPIkV0DDAEqBgALYpi3YJnuzWyQBGztvG6IDPHg9aj7QJMPiY/s640/decorating-tips.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And that's where we are today. It truly feels like a breath of fresh air. And sometimes smells like toddler sweat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You do what you can.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thanks for being here, ya'll. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWWtBuukx_rKM68snZTKSZMCTi7CuT0qvy7lUINDfwfGzUDVtlq4Cpyfel_4vuHBWKkSCTQH5LgdprB0tqhW6o5V52LD-omuMxn4kJdgSFiEiMTuKwztpAMqdmpZGUAWu0uXveRb6DnTX/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWWtBuukx_rKM68snZTKSZMCTi7CuT0qvy7lUINDfwfGzUDVtlq4Cpyfel_4vuHBWKkSCTQH5LgdprB0tqhW6o5V52LD-omuMxn4kJdgSFiEiMTuKwztpAMqdmpZGUAWu0uXveRb6DnTX/s1600/signature.png" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-17388054623964796382017-01-19T20:51:00.002-05:002017-01-20T00:17:55.221-05:00Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgng-wAXv9T6AFPNDWMcKKafPT6Bn3_0ZejnZRWbK0jlOy8L_3UBuK4EE7AMMnd62qt-q1-Wu0bLrNPP41RiioQ4WWfb9umbbUWlRiFoP45YUSqegGy84XxNOP1sa0nppnWuzsjCYueQOO3/s1600/KITCHEN+GRAPHIC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh64ENf-vq3SkyB3A07LSfCki8KcokKZr1GSVWHbhimCiwO-URblapKXudZX98-LoqJbXPYW0EyWlKWsz_LeXUl4AXds8AWAtWhcnbQ4BGK0W_JEPTDeA45kZzXGIxk6wteEjYIMmy5xpmC/s1600/kitchen-makeover-quartz-countertops-tips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover quartz countertops tips" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh64ENf-vq3SkyB3A07LSfCki8KcokKZr1GSVWHbhimCiwO-URblapKXudZX98-LoqJbXPYW0EyWlKWsz_LeXUl4AXds8AWAtWhcnbQ4BGK0W_JEPTDeA45kZzXGIxk6wteEjYIMmy5xpmC/s640/kitchen-makeover-quartz-countertops-tips.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hello old friends!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's been awhile. I announced the beginning of the renovation of our new fixer upper in the last <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2016/09/the-renovation-has-officially-begun.html">post</a>, and then I disappeared for 5 months. I'm so sorry I left without warning. I was trying to keep too many plates spinning at once: running the blog, moving across town, gutting and renovating the new house, and taking care of a toddler all day. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I burned out, and I needed to let some plates fall. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I ignored my blog and instead focused on family and spent my spare energy renovating the house. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've been posting almost daily on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/livelovediy">Instagram</a> ever since that time, because it takes much less energy to post there, but I know not everyone follows me there, so some of you had absolutely no idea what was going on. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had a reader email me and ask if I was dead. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am not, but I appreciate the concern.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyway, after the house renovation was finished (at least the big stuff...I'll be working on little projects forever), I started to feel excited about blogging again. I had been spending every single evening as some sort of nighttime construction worker, so once I was done with that phase of life, I had energy for something else.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, I'm back. With tons of pictures and stories to share about everything that happened while I was away.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And I'm going to start with the kitchen makeover. The kitchen is my favorite place in the house, and the project that gave me the most anxiety. I've screwed up so many things in the past (namely, having to rip up our floors, <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/05/our-1970s-house-makeover-basement.html">twice</a>.), so I was beyond anxious. Plus, when we bought the house, the existing kitchen was just totally not my style and I would sometimes stand there and stare at it and sweat. I felt like no one understood my vision for it. Not a single person told me that, but I projected it onto anyone who would make eye contact. So, now that it's done, and I feel like my vision has come to life, I'm pretty excited. It was a hard project. I've never had the ability to just gut a kitchen and start from scratch, so it was also a lot of fun. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Like, gave me diarrhea and also SO MUCH FUN! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, this is what the kitchen looked like the day we moved in. I remember being so stressed about it. It felt like a cabin. Which is great if you're in a cabin.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG108WN2Ev8bcYvJIWOC59aGKH0XXhdCHIIdW6YFavETFWSHt15h_qW1TFHwcbQSI2S_KxfFxvL4AWF7k0OI793djx8GXSweA8VBAQ6VBp3HFTjqtMknniYqjjvWba9bKjqiolszI_xKLM/s1600/before+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG108WN2Ev8bcYvJIWOC59aGKH0XXhdCHIIdW6YFavETFWSHt15h_qW1TFHwcbQSI2S_KxfFxvL4AWF7k0OI793djx8GXSweA8VBAQ6VBp3HFTjqtMknniYqjjvWba9bKjqiolszI_xKLM/s640/before+4.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The view from the other side:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xsW_1Ozp97E2jNw8fqWFJBiKbtuJSb1sjCA4r3MdX47h0nSVFom19df6EtT0fBE1HPXTlJ2E8FaYPZjT99OTm_0aP6KVCP0Nz6KJqd0ItbJyJeay8P76P2pJiq0kCF1y_aQewNo5FGpH/s1600/before+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xsW_1Ozp97E2jNw8fqWFJBiKbtuJSb1sjCA4r3MdX47h0nSVFom19df6EtT0fBE1HPXTlJ2E8FaYPZjT99OTm_0aP6KVCP0Nz6KJqd0ItbJyJeay8P76P2pJiq0kCF1y_aQewNo5FGpH/s640/before+9.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just so much damn orange.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Remember how we lived with a mini fridge? For months? I was putting off buying a fridge until I knew what we needed, and it took a lot longer than anticipated to get everything moving on the reno.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The general mood around this time was 'just kill me now'.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebi2jlQg64qf2tW7FrNMykeu95NJFSrUqhn3ACZbD89mzaMmFro0Snw4IkuvRBzB-dieySmc_oJOdQJGbBv78zqaI6JVQqSqTWJzdhjBX63p8zUaO65t2c9F9KHnMT8T_FTIjjZjUrNeB/s1600/before+16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebi2jlQg64qf2tW7FrNMykeu95NJFSrUqhn3ACZbD89mzaMmFro0Snw4IkuvRBzB-dieySmc_oJOdQJGbBv78zqaI6JVQqSqTWJzdhjBX63p8zUaO65t2c9F9KHnMT8T_FTIjjZjUrNeB/s640/before+16.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's the view from the living room looking into the old kitchen. I just can't with the textured walls.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3bqnpTI35xwG2wAW9qNY-gyZq61lFGyEmZfXdFF4kCwNsnz4umfp0_E5NlnyFygmfbu9fnsLoZfHRlLGzQmxaQA2wbohCEHTD4yRYNOKshUus_JQnupURWCrpyu5pPcNXUfTxnjKDdGZ/s1600/IMG_3452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3bqnpTI35xwG2wAW9qNY-gyZq61lFGyEmZfXdFF4kCwNsnz4umfp0_E5NlnyFygmfbu9fnsLoZfHRlLGzQmxaQA2wbohCEHTD4yRYNOKshUus_JQnupURWCrpyu5pPcNXUfTxnjKDdGZ/s640/IMG_3452.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, that's what where we started.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, let's talk about the actual kitchen makeover. We hired a general contractor (who had done a couple houses for my friend) and he handled the kitchen reno, resurfacing all of our ceilings, building the missing doorways (refresh your memory <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2016/07/new-house-tour.html">here</a>...the doorway issue kills me), random electrical stuff, beam removals and installation of a header, and then the hardwood on our FOUR sets of stairs. We loved the two guys who did our last set of floors in our old house, so we hired them to do the hardwood floors and tile again. Our house was completely gutted within a couple weeks and the projects were completed within about 6 weeks, so everything happened really quick and our house felt like a beehive with people darting around everywhere. We moved in with my mom while all this was happening. Thank the Lord. I don't think I could have lived in the house during all of that with Ava. You would surely be hearing about my stay in a mental institution by now. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also, I decided to save money by redoing all of the bathrooms on my own, painting every square inch of the house, and having Jesse install all the light fixtures. So, I handled all of that after the contractors were done and we were moved back in. And if you've been following me on Instagram, that's what you were witnessing....5 brutal months of me doing manual labor. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not the best decision I've ever made. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyway, so back to the kitchen makeover. We met with a kitchen designer at Lowe's. She came out and measured and we discussed my ideas. It was really brief and to the point, mostly because when she arrived, I was prepared with a very terrible drawing I had made. I genuinely wish I would have taken a picture of it. It did delight.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> A couple weeks later she emailed a few design renderings, showing what the kitchen would look like in various designs. And then we just went back and forth for about a week, as I narrowed down what I wanted. I think I went to the store once. I was pretty set on what I wanted, and also the kitchen designer just did a really great job of interpreting what I asked for. Some of what I wanted was not sold at Lowe's, so I sourced that elsewhere on my own and had our contractors install it. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here are a few of the different design renderings I got before we started the kitchen makeover. I loved having these to look at, as it put my vision on paper and helped me narrow things down.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the things I was really going back and forth on was taking out the existing peninsula and creating a galley kitchen instead. I thought it would really open up the kitchen. And then I saw the reality of it and was like, I will have three tiny chunks of countertop space. Nope.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWf_h1sj8SOwxFM5GYfVC7uqO-t1uWJQRZYEFOvEucOMkEEAI6JiR41YIUlnD06s8Vxp5ag3_TfAAcCN4UsKAa9DBQyjrjHHVHDQPYdBMYNgpLkI_h2cgXXHOP5MpXTiWadrlimmE6piuJ/s1600/kitchen-makeover-galley-layout.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover layout ideas" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWf_h1sj8SOwxFM5GYfVC7uqO-t1uWJQRZYEFOvEucOMkEEAI6JiR41YIUlnD06s8Vxp5ag3_TfAAcCN4UsKAa9DBQyjrjHHVHDQPYdBMYNgpLkI_h2cgXXHOP5MpXTiWadrlimmE6piuJ/s640/kitchen-makeover-galley-layout.JPG" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj80TJnzSF7a29fQjPGaCoHpOiGXNFAfq_W4_LDjsFHu_euk_UPiRDQj4v4ZE44Mmgue0GHb3NENZShLLIBuABwRbNKp6p_x-tru6QyIdEqbpkHJVcj5Grs_8J4RJqg-sX7npgfC1nK7Ko1/s1600/IMG_9372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The other thing I was interested in was replacing the upper cabinets with shelves. Again, I saw the pic, and was like, nope. I still love open shelving, but I really wanted the oven and hood centered on that wall, and it just couldn't be done because of all the stuff we had to fit. Plus, I really thought about what open shelving would be like for my little brain to live with, and the answer is torture. I get stressed by a bookshelf. I'm kinda minimalistic, purely for my own self preservation, so I don't think I would have fared well. I imagine that I would have three bowls, one on each shelf, and be like, now what?!?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWKczt7qfhM_qG7UMYHjfGW5-BXEx9QfDWpI7n6rlTL5oQB18H7D5Mao9o14axLEGtWxKrr9OgSfXl8RFwLJLhIvGYTk0mWdrZ_aCdtDxs1N6OSogD0XZ0fPXfNZ4YL67Hp0F7C85sPGb/s1600/kitchen-makeover-open-shelving-tips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover layout tips" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWKczt7qfhM_qG7UMYHjfGW5-BXEx9QfDWpI7n6rlTL5oQB18H7D5Mao9o14axLEGtWxKrr9OgSfXl8RFwLJLhIvGYTk0mWdrZ_aCdtDxs1N6OSogD0XZ0fPXfNZ4YL67Hp0F7C85sPGb/s640/kitchen-makeover-open-shelving-tips.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This was the side view of both galley style options. I was just curious. That's why these renderings are amazing. It really gives you a good sense of what you would be getting. I had envisioned this really open kitchen, and instead it just felt like I would be standing around all the time with no counter space.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCCkvgCmj29E46olxtFARtiDN2zZ1f73Xib7ov2BMPuDIiE4Ivzm3tVI07Y4iuywo1ZglvSqelZfbtLZ_tDZfkrokFMS3hLL5D37FmIR1YJuWANXbbdQGLnfCqodJ146Fb48O_eZLoZ5mk/s1600/kitchen-makeover-galley-layout-tips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover tips" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCCkvgCmj29E46olxtFARtiDN2zZ1f73Xib7ov2BMPuDIiE4Ivzm3tVI07Y4iuywo1ZglvSqelZfbtLZ_tDZfkrokFMS3hLL5D37FmIR1YJuWANXbbdQGLnfCqodJ146Fb48O_eZLoZ5mk/s640/kitchen-makeover-galley-layout-tips.JPG" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1z5Mz5PUD-T-jeHy-UwEAE0OijRX6Va_WEDmSk5eDxdUFGRtR13A9CaeSIpsQgMvtCte44ScoxQ7qik0A2ilcuPZXpa0FACAe8aUzbseL4_I3kBgmycOiOKoGelFZsbeS6d7GSaZjI3T8/s1600/IMG_9374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, we decided to keep the peninsula, but to make it smaller, and to rearrange some appliances, etc. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here is the final design we chose for our kitchen makeover. For reference, the things I told the designer that I wanted for the kitchen were white shaker cabinets (all the way up to the ceiling with crown moulding at the top), marble or quartz countertops, a custom hood, a counter depth fridge, and a stainless steel apron front sink.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzy1poswSOxPKa3KQT_aWp_zxS4egDCSafGkg2d2pD37GI8XS2KYSdYxztFgK93OZdrEyPBkKYB5-jtNmw4qfWOtB9Gd0WQjEabQo20TSITjq6k6QePqV1uEBFDSc7tlP4gSW-bIpiNKLi/s1600/kitchen-makeover-layout-tips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover layout ideas tips" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzy1poswSOxPKa3KQT_aWp_zxS4egDCSafGkg2d2pD37GI8XS2KYSdYxztFgK93OZdrEyPBkKYB5-jtNmw4qfWOtB9Gd0WQjEabQo20TSITjq6k6QePqV1uEBFDSc7tlP4gSW-bIpiNKLi/s640/kitchen-makeover-layout-tips.JPG" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As for the changes to the peninsula....the existing one had the sink installed on an angle and it drove me crazy. It took up counter and floor space and just seemed awkward. So, we moved the sink, moved the dishwasher, and made the peninsula smaller so that you have more room when you walk in the kitchen.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpSUmFn0A3QJjjK7vZcHu2T7XmPIMI_V6DppqOY1CL1rrp-sU3KZs0DsO9ePgkcLGbgB2a2zlRw-6f_d-AdDXZWsifapGl_8tBp9T7Rpd4vuXfk_o-TtsqAobBI6tRZtkVB-Ea4vOShe6/s1600/before+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpSUmFn0A3QJjjK7vZcHu2T7XmPIMI_V6DppqOY1CL1rrp-sU3KZs0DsO9ePgkcLGbgB2a2zlRw-6f_d-AdDXZWsifapGl_8tBp9T7Rpd4vuXfk_o-TtsqAobBI6tRZtkVB-Ea4vOShe6/s640/before+9.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's the rendering that shows the kitchen from the other side. The house came with a fairly new oven and dishwasher, so we kept those and then I bought the matching refrigerator, in a counter depth version, which I am SO pleased with. I'm never going back to the big clunky version. It's a really nice space saver, especially in a smaller kitchen, and now that we are using it, I can't even tell the difference on the inside.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVoHq0y-B54q2q7lgmIlQGa8zpRVSc-utosNPLWZq2dlgcfwmq6aAn6o4P9UpoBM_5HNgFTNPpN1HjywLlHYDnnrA5a1mFWvD1sU_LCPNTTxYvJueLJKHOalQH5-nEVQntSUC_SrhrwL3E/s1600/kitchen-makeover-tips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover layout tips" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVoHq0y-B54q2q7lgmIlQGa8zpRVSc-utosNPLWZq2dlgcfwmq6aAn6o4P9UpoBM_5HNgFTNPpN1HjywLlHYDnnrA5a1mFWvD1sU_LCPNTTxYvJueLJKHOalQH5-nEVQntSUC_SrhrwL3E/s640/kitchen-makeover-tips.JPG" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once we decided on a design, it was time to gut the kitchen. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here was Jesse's contribution to the kitchen makeover. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8VlDilsRTPgYTPB8ncnaQ3U2xGPUYHowbjLD8luO2616YxnbG3cjAuGOwL5_xzhx9ZaeHdNGfguYCIeJ2WEr-pzZQR3e580roZ8EKV0TAHqHx15oXNn_XxCbYxt3JsDPGNMnZPd8aElR/s1600/IMG_5060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8VlDilsRTPgYTPB8ncnaQ3U2xGPUYHowbjLD8luO2616YxnbG3cjAuGOwL5_xzhx9ZaeHdNGfguYCIeJ2WEr-pzZQR3e580roZ8EKV0TAHqHx15oXNn_XxCbYxt3JsDPGNMnZPd8aElR/s640/IMG_5060.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The rest was done by a very nice subcontractor who Jesse said looked like muscular Joey from Friends. I never really saw the resemblance, but it entertained me to no end. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUkqcY3_McbmjONa2V_wSrLMLk-4_QcXJLVC3mu1dOC4wF1BKpUuipbCb0R-Ex_kxiVbfC7_ua9a6kS2k26oMkrH3F7VrDO8_0RujpBBFzJWyvUMiDKGj6omUGjLnNPG_4ULP7PSKHKsg/s1600/IMG_5209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUkqcY3_McbmjONa2V_wSrLMLk-4_QcXJLVC3mu1dOC4wF1BKpUuipbCb0R-Ex_kxiVbfC7_ua9a6kS2k26oMkrH3F7VrDO8_0RujpBBFzJWyvUMiDKGj6omUGjLnNPG_4ULP7PSKHKsg/s640/IMG_5209.JPG" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before after pictures of this kitchen!" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The doorway to the hallway was gutted so that a pocket door could be installed, which I'm so glad I decided to have done. It lets us close off Ava's 'wing' (as I refer to it....her bedroom, her bathroom, and another bedroom are all over there).</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> It's so nice when we have people over or during her naptime.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOadd2fHafy1kAW10r6Hhbok-DaI9RJfax8Bbsqmd1CNHQF2R23lgfYYcBrqDMlr4wCJyPpbybdLG5Yyueo0YzkY2b-NTPQuYbbgFT8FjZPTAmo1AFgQz95yfqZ3gvRhlhsxEZTlATpg3/s1600/IMG_5208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOadd2fHafy1kAW10r6Hhbok-DaI9RJfax8Bbsqmd1CNHQF2R23lgfYYcBrqDMlr4wCJyPpbybdLG5Yyueo0YzkY2b-NTPQuYbbgFT8FjZPTAmo1AFgQz95yfqZ3gvRhlhsxEZTlATpg3/s640/IMG_5208.JPG" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before after pictures of this kitchen!" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know it's a funky layout. That's probably why this house sat on the market for 4 years before we bought it. Well, that and the Tuscan eighties vibe. But, if I wanted to live in this part of town, in this very particular area, I had to be willing to get creative. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's life. You make the best of it.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviuGPU6gIPd4Du4C_X9n10PjdsXfDnwwzqTiOA2GqlDRYMTjDqNLlpxZh-o7RpyJB_UMHe6HSqVklYcy9BdCahl8tAm4-gdn4W_jMNAJdSU7pTB5lg834UlPCpwcvLhC-YwLG3rwujIH6/s1600/before+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviuGPU6gIPd4Du4C_X9n10PjdsXfDnwwzqTiOA2GqlDRYMTjDqNLlpxZh-o7RpyJB_UMHe6HSqVklYcy9BdCahl8tAm4-gdn4W_jMNAJdSU7pTB5lg834UlPCpwcvLhC-YwLG3rwujIH6/s640/before+5.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's the pic of the pocket door getting framed back in.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdo2_hNU_NjK50GPoPMaSO6hTr0_671tGtRpm8M7CjU9gF4KkDrgUXlrGsBZyE_ko98YulY8qGlnfPQLtLDRDFT_vJVQAj1P6PonfxWZi7cb1EBCcxNMKxpx9WaiV33cNMc5K0CQIPNx7/s1600/before+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdo2_hNU_NjK50GPoPMaSO6hTr0_671tGtRpm8M7CjU9gF4KkDrgUXlrGsBZyE_ko98YulY8qGlnfPQLtLDRDFT_vJVQAj1P6PonfxWZi7cb1EBCcxNMKxpx9WaiV33cNMc5K0CQIPNx7/s640/before+3.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then drywalled.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwX-wk_zUdaB-Izkkng8m-ga6-pJWJj19licIPQiEQkzhRIFFzr-Y6OPnc4GEo51liVVhZABDMdXf9JxGXCcLc3_y5lvBqyXlrlU91VCdhizSuePChnHycwKvv1erbMWg8taqGH17pSmz/s1600/IMG_5297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwX-wk_zUdaB-Izkkng8m-ga6-pJWJj19licIPQiEQkzhRIFFzr-Y6OPnc4GEo51liVVhZABDMdXf9JxGXCcLc3_y5lvBqyXlrlU91VCdhizSuePChnHycwKvv1erbMWg8taqGH17pSmz/s640/IMG_5297.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Around this same time, we had to replace all of the subfloors throughout the main level. Once we ripped up the existing flooring, the particle board was in really bad shape and even rotting in some areas, and I've already made the mistake of not replacing particle board subfloors <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/05/our-new-white-washed-hardwood-flooring.html">once</a>, so replacing it was a must. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-XzeQ9Xc8xNpgW4qgT7bArZnfmCaRgnXn7xOgNJsSdHEd_G05ZWELC8z2Usvv6cpM2cpkALazsSdFbkgYlorNx-1G8WZyvVKREWs0SJTQONcGsXC5jKhun0foNr5eFZgIpbjyP_97gA6a/s1600/IMG_5425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-XzeQ9Xc8xNpgW4qgT7bArZnfmCaRgnXn7xOgNJsSdHEd_G05ZWELC8z2Usvv6cpM2cpkALazsSdFbkgYlorNx-1G8WZyvVKREWs0SJTQONcGsXC5jKhun0foNr5eFZgIpbjyP_97gA6a/s640/IMG_5425.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's a pic of Ava and Jesse stopping by the house to check on the progress. We were living at my mom's house nearby, and we tried to stop by every other evening or so. We were so excited to watch things change. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lto1fd8Ax7quF3ArBeJ_r4R8HB5ggWXwUo4iWq24Yp6VYSxLBQKgtMPKDMZzuQzayhADEoV2u8QUeC6FFBe5bsFGbyX-bD61MVbqRkhpnT2F6b53XJrvi2F-BR8l39AlaWmocM0m8IM9/s1600/candid+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lto1fd8Ax7quF3ArBeJ_r4R8HB5ggWXwUo4iWq24Yp6VYSxLBQKgtMPKDMZzuQzayhADEoV2u8QUeC6FFBe5bsFGbyX-bD61MVbqRkhpnT2F6b53XJrvi2F-BR8l39AlaWmocM0m8IM9/s640/candid+3.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After the kitchen was gutted and the subfloors were done, the hardwood flooring went in. I'll do a separate post on the floors, but for now, if you're curious, we used Provence Manor European White Oak in River Rock (in a 7.5 inch width plank). We found them at Heartland Hardwood Flooring here in Knoxville (the same place our last floors came from). </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I spent so much time and energy choosing the flooring, and I really love how they turned out.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Can't express that enough. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDv5AecRxSVboo747fcWnZK0M2ePXfeXpYKLeerWXew5zG7FEpo8zLt7_RGkSNZqCiZCt1EqpD0oylJM74htJQJwpXdC-mPssix2U1I1kGuv6Qv-dmch-TZOGPz7PoZmCI6KYWgQ9EUA1x/s1600/kitchen-makeover-flooring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover flooring ideas" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDv5AecRxSVboo747fcWnZK0M2ePXfeXpYKLeerWXew5zG7FEpo8zLt7_RGkSNZqCiZCt1EqpD0oylJM74htJQJwpXdC-mPssix2U1I1kGuv6Qv-dmch-TZOGPz7PoZmCI6KYWgQ9EUA1x/s640/kitchen-makeover-flooring.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ava helped me pick them out. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5id0e_EbOI7d4sK1QrFWaNPKin7hDex1w7Wbf0UHsY-iEaG3Wv2Y4fWjpOWmxCpVCpBxCGUKI8dx_G3bg5MIVuIikDQOKsrr8RWS7WcRbUQUrwhoNbKA3kI4HvpUmc98fUZiYZZFvGdMu/s1600/IMG_4403+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="home makeover flooring" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5id0e_EbOI7d4sK1QrFWaNPKin7hDex1w7Wbf0UHsY-iEaG3Wv2Y4fWjpOWmxCpVCpBxCGUKI8dx_G3bg5MIVuIikDQOKsrr8RWS7WcRbUQUrwhoNbKA3kI4HvpUmc98fUZiYZZFvGdMu/s640/IMG_4403+copy.JPG" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before after pictures of this kitchen!" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the tile that was there, and it was just so not for me. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsIlWfQiEkTIMmzva7HgKVITegs20MydhlplJvLUfNLLMOA3zBTTkmWTOYtmApew31i52T3qgoVYaDxVjNFsLDiLNHmvDVil5zs1PIirXu-2Ququ1hL3HreLV373t8bbQK6kb0IUM1rw6/s1600/before+12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsIlWfQiEkTIMmzva7HgKVITegs20MydhlplJvLUfNLLMOA3zBTTkmWTOYtmApew31i52T3qgoVYaDxVjNFsLDiLNHmvDVil5zs1PIirXu-2Ququ1hL3HreLV373t8bbQK6kb0IUM1rw6/s640/before+12.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After a few weeks, the flooring was done and the cabinets were installed. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHE5ULxYKBB5HUdCI9BSv7URWHkofK5Z8O2VBGHkMyEb1p25E2q_03a2Lmx4KiNJM2NucmPrpqkteNCaEus-8aUKWB4yfHQ3nqU5lF9O8jN5pAfkgI6XWbb8QT8k7Xw280ktF2OPlzWkuv/s1600/IMG_5848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHE5ULxYKBB5HUdCI9BSv7URWHkofK5Z8O2VBGHkMyEb1p25E2q_03a2Lmx4KiNJM2NucmPrpqkteNCaEus-8aUKWB4yfHQ3nqU5lF9O8jN5pAfkgI6XWbb8QT8k7Xw280ktF2OPlzWkuv/s640/IMG_5848.JPG" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="512" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxBZ2RWQEgOCZvcePIZe7nZb0os3AzSktoG_IMRh2yO4B1U6IYtLv4uB8rBnAaafLULqgFvIPRkOh8Jm36FeAQC2swBWCvQKyghmIC0pcakS6ChbOmcYsMhQVYHdQMf-eODIj2S6YGMMg/s1600/IMG_5787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I felt like I could breathe again.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's hard to explain. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was just so nervous about everything and I didn't trust myself one bit up until this moment. It still had a long way to go at this point, but once I saw this, I knew it was gonna be what I had envisioned from day one.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZS6GuMps7Qia-L84llwK0TAE_QlnYTcxLIwkcu_txVBi8GoEaADuKlzB5flvUEoGHNjF-UMaQVsYaugcvSeB2f6nsZHZyerq7UODdIv8hAvLu4-6c9Sn3IDxAafJl5Iyc5EB7bod0Scl/s1600/IMG_5792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZS6GuMps7Qia-L84llwK0TAE_QlnYTcxLIwkcu_txVBi8GoEaADuKlzB5flvUEoGHNjF-UMaQVsYaugcvSeB2f6nsZHZyerq7UODdIv8hAvLu4-6c9Sn3IDxAafJl5Iyc5EB7bod0Scl/s640/IMG_5792.JPG" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's the opposite view.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWacEws970kxKX8o0PDbNew-ba6Kfof615NRhD5zs7mwDJ31T-7B4nbCuZrSHGoo_L3o14_3vxe6gZCol7cg7Q26k6yFPjcZ9Oikg6lPz6d4u_k9BcEYVoQ64BDohbJPGmPLEFBtmkjPS/s1600/IMG_5841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWacEws970kxKX8o0PDbNew-ba6Kfof615NRhD5zs7mwDJ31T-7B4nbCuZrSHGoo_L3o14_3vxe6gZCol7cg7Q26k6yFPjcZ9Oikg6lPz6d4u_k9BcEYVoQ64BDohbJPGmPLEFBtmkjPS/s640/IMG_5841.JPG" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="512" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And the little fridge hole, as I like to call it.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2UBid2ZLQvwu3WsAa8l-8pg83eSyilBOvcuS9ip5dGiXtNolltWA7FcTWrwBmbwT1GyKFgW_mxeeUDpWq24SxbVXM81G3AkgrZgT81SnXB9PDaUtQBtp9A2iBnTs1PlpoReRMCtSVBVA/s1600/IMG_5806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2UBid2ZLQvwu3WsAa8l-8pg83eSyilBOvcuS9ip5dGiXtNolltWA7FcTWrwBmbwT1GyKFgW_mxeeUDpWq24SxbVXM81G3AkgrZgT81SnXB9PDaUtQBtp9A2iBnTs1PlpoReRMCtSVBVA/s640/IMG_5806.JPG" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before after pictures of this kitchen!" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They hadn't put the crown moulding on yet, up around the top of the cabinets, which freaked me out at first, like who missed my memo?! But, it happened days later. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Apparently, a kitchen makeover doesn't happen in a day.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVKJZ86HI3PHfkmp62La1RHmvN3ldwQsSI5Zrrme4EunSqAvDqivv4rX55mCBwlyUI0Kn0xMTCT1R3PNL5owXBCJTohvvGA56rpCyQgR1gLRh0DeWh3qUcJ-sLrier4rrDuYT3eCn3fs1/s1600/IMG_5842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVKJZ86HI3PHfkmp62La1RHmvN3ldwQsSI5Zrrme4EunSqAvDqivv4rX55mCBwlyUI0Kn0xMTCT1R3PNL5owXBCJTohvvGA56rpCyQgR1gLRh0DeWh3qUcJ-sLrier4rrDuYT3eCn3fs1/s640/IMG_5842.JPG" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="512" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I knew that I was going to be in charge of painting every inch of this house by myself after the contractors finished their part. And it was around this moment that I started wanting to slap myself for not painting the orange wall before the cabinets were installed.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> We ended up having to wait a couple months for a backsplash, and I was throwing a big Christmas Party, so I definitely got to spend an entire evening squatting on the countertop with a paintbrush. I mean, it would have taken 10 minutes to roll that entire wall.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4AGZnbPwF2NVpFpcj9Pkw7ktVirO4Ww76nS9r_IWaXxBShenckURgvKEZ0ISHomEr6GYKme2aDaAuIxbg3HROrVQnfwmTycqbVPf0f-0CQ8TSXeoRdlCURmeEaLeyAjRz_OuiGeq7OGe/s1600/IMG_5843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4AGZnbPwF2NVpFpcj9Pkw7ktVirO4Ww76nS9r_IWaXxBShenckURgvKEZ0ISHomEr6GYKme2aDaAuIxbg3HROrVQnfwmTycqbVPf0f-0CQ8TSXeoRdlCURmeEaLeyAjRz_OuiGeq7OGe/s640/IMG_5843.JPG" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="512" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's a pic of when the fridge finally arrived and I got to banish the mini fridge to the garage, a real celebratory moment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Ava's mattress is in the doorway, I don't know why. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09-ASzamkedV_aI54NzKGdvv8lSBt6RFmjjId_FDY9qtcFq1xCpohnIDVZuUQkIOTBts1IceyA8re0puTbv_7FJz8HtVyiuboCEYetBwK05RC5RoL_RRjLpNdvvd8TtezBhqnQWJcKYpS/s1600/IMG_5994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09-ASzamkedV_aI54NzKGdvv8lSBt6RFmjjId_FDY9qtcFq1xCpohnIDVZuUQkIOTBts1IceyA8re0puTbv_7FJz8HtVyiuboCEYetBwK05RC5RoL_RRjLpNdvvd8TtezBhqnQWJcKYpS/s640/IMG_5994.JPG" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before after pictures of this kitchen!" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The sink also got put in. There were no countertops, or water, but I kinda just hovered over it for awhile.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhbNzcNMMJWsRj7JY4Dh9fhDzxf08-No-cm8V0kDtR1knqriVkblh-Zz5OJSuTYWrPz7pjYqG6mHIytAp3nH79n9yzlDGy2kW_7TWZovjEF-QjrY2-YqeBiWgtpX5mH4bWyD1clk5wGMR/s1600/IMG_6015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhbNzcNMMJWsRj7JY4Dh9fhDzxf08-No-cm8V0kDtR1knqriVkblh-Zz5OJSuTYWrPz7pjYqG6mHIytAp3nH79n9yzlDGy2kW_7TWZovjEF-QjrY2-YqeBiWgtpX5mH4bWyD1clk5wGMR/s640/IMG_6015.JPG" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The sink is from <a href="http://www.moen.com/products/1800_Series/1800_Series_30_x_21_stainless_steel_18_gauge_single_bowl_sink/G18121">Moen</a> (They provided it for our kitchen makeover, and it absolutely made my life. I don't accept much free stuff on this blog, but you best believe, I was like, yes, please, fanciest sink you have. And it's hands down the star of the kitchen.) </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwoEVhurId2Qqqn7Ao6YAxOEINs_TKqBYqK0h4jORFRU8gLpaYV9ZNMrjL7fYL6f8d79p-yRc4_EhH2iHXpHgRsAP4yTwEdQmUAIA8P8mJ-XKYqURFkeDm50dIeODUP535_9VdUH8_X9-c/s1600/IMG_6021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwoEVhurId2Qqqn7Ao6YAxOEINs_TKqBYqK0h4jORFRU8gLpaYV9ZNMrjL7fYL6f8d79p-yRc4_EhH2iHXpHgRsAP4yTwEdQmUAIA8P8mJ-XKYqURFkeDm50dIeODUP535_9VdUH8_X9-c/s640/IMG_6021.JPG" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="512" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The next step was choosing countertops. I wanted marble, I wanted it so bad. Ava and I went to a bunch of different stone places around town and drooled over marble slabs. Honed Calacutta was what I was lusting over. I had the fever. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZYYUba3QHJ0GWn9EDxEbGcZnMRRfhyPvlnku9CSyIO0yxJRIDOXgMhIzM0nY7-0CjNWj98Wts-LVy2FDd3_CVN0dvdlkNhSWkjf0oVoOTUgh7klsBooTn0eO8Fgg15tVgL3vrmfplTk3/s1600/honed+marble+countertops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover marble countertops" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZYYUba3QHJ0GWn9EDxEbGcZnMRRfhyPvlnku9CSyIO0yxJRIDOXgMhIzM0nY7-0CjNWj98Wts-LVy2FDd3_CVN0dvdlkNhSWkjf0oVoOTUgh7klsBooTn0eO8Fgg15tVgL3vrmfplTk3/s640/honed+marble+countertops.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="512" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-fT1a3erJB5hM4TeEje_n2HFTohb9y4sgg1rzBFwkmH-ld8zs0PTZIzdVDtsmknoQS1zTok_AAdYKh9E6UVX0s-J9W5qqvT07T0iEE3lYb7HQdUodhf33FcdN5KuwJ2pXCGoYmcnPniz/s1600/honed+marble+countertops.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I lived with marble in our last <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2013/04/10-easy-steps-to-paint-kitchen-cabinets.html">kitchen</a> (below), so I knew what I was up against. It was crappy pink marble and cut into tile, but it was marble, nonetheless. It would etch and stain every time I set a cup of water on it, and I was such a crazy person (with way too much time on my hands, back then) that I literally used to buff the etches out every so often with an orbital sander and a automobile buffer pad. What was wrong with me.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. And yet, somehow, I was certain I could do it again. But, like, with brand new fancy marble. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-qM6eQqd5jmpDVDv7nlOOHIkVOpW8IFiu5EUQPnEO5XsbnRKpz01BWFA4I-DiUQOdSL_50HdXHpICMrSBlY2U5QU9c9SZorT5nvf4rVXm2xc3yLZZuaqDlUKN_kIugatl_RbfyH2hfJfB/s1600/after+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-qM6eQqd5jmpDVDv7nlOOHIkVOpW8IFiu5EUQPnEO5XsbnRKpz01BWFA4I-DiUQOdSL_50HdXHpICMrSBlY2U5QU9c9SZorT5nvf4rVXm2xc3yLZZuaqDlUKN_kIugatl_RbfyH2hfJfB/s640/after+%25284%2529.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ultimately, I agonized over the decision long enough that I realized that I wasn't listening to myself. I could pretty much envision myself rocking back and forth in a corner crying 'patina'.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I want to be able to allow my guests to drink red wine without following them around. I want to be able to pour salsa on my countertops and just roll in it, if the mood strikes. I want to be able to cook with Ava and have her leave dirty handprints everywhere. I don't want to constantly stress out over anything in my house. And btw, I know a lot of people say you can seal it and it's fine, but I just had to trust my little anxiety-ridden gut on this one. I am not a person meant for marble.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, I went with Quartz countertops. And I've never looked back. I love it.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I couldn't find any quartz I liked at Lowes, so I went to a specialty stone place and ordered Caesarstone Quartz countertops in Frosty Carrina. I am summarizing quickly so as not to create a 45 page post, but I did so much research and looked at so many different countertops, and this was the one that spoke to me. I loved that the veining was so subtle in this one. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebLBQZEhQEBjIT-snG2FxKBvICK3Gm0iFHIHPy_JI8cZD9lwSJZqMMtBmJK3YA2yP3_rZvt-4t1vzRmzQo4X3Qf3v-R-luXrSNxFYorLGwGn7voDQgT-4_kvNM76uS7Idr4uPAJZiVwNH/s1600/quartz-countertops-tips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="quartz countertops tips" border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebLBQZEhQEBjIT-snG2FxKBvICK3Gm0iFHIHPy_JI8cZD9lwSJZqMMtBmJK3YA2yP3_rZvt-4t1vzRmzQo4X3Qf3v-R-luXrSNxFYorLGwGn7voDQgT-4_kvNM76uS7Idr4uPAJZiVwNH/s640/quartz-countertops-tips.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgif5p_3mnqhrV86xW5L9TumAEeAOtr8c25DVifQUGhC_GQZUfgnHiqyh5GJJBjMzs3JtVz9bPsylOOYAaRe2xc1uf116ekHgvwSq5DgNFgadGmt3oFtLGBVBTKWiv-C8Noj1nfKSSWqKSV/s1600/CAESARSTONE+FROSTY+CARRINA+QUARTZ+MARBLE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And the main reason I decided to get quartz countertops is because they are super durable and will stay looking brand new with very little maintenance. And that has proven to be true. I basically just wipe them down every so often with water. Or some Method countertop cleaner. And if you do leave anything on it overnight and it happens to stain, you can fix it. This has only happened once, I think it was kid's cough syrup, and it came right up with Softscrub with bleach. I found that solution on Caesarstone's actual website, and lo and behold, it was legit. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> So, the quartz countertops are amazing, but the actual installation of the countertops was a total headache. Solely because we had a bad contractor that was sent to us by Lowe's. You can buy Caesarstone through Lowe's, but you have to go through a specialty stone store that they will refer you to. The contractors installed them wrong and had to come back several times to fix it. At one point the countertop was installed with about a 2 inch gap between the countertop and the wall. Like, um, what goes there, guys? Turbo caulk? And they had written letters on the different parts of the countertop in ink (I guess to help with install, I dunno.) that we couldn't get off. And then, as a special cherry on top, they scratched up the sink AND the dishwasher during the install.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh, and I specified a squared countertop edge on the quartz countertops, and they send slabs with rounded edges, and I ended up just caving on that one. Because t</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">hey kept sending back the SAME guys to fix the damage, three separate times, and it was enough to give me a heart attack. In the end, everything was installed correctly. The ink was removed. The scratches on the sink and dishwasher were able to be buffed out. And Lowe's gave us a partial store credit. So, it worked out. But, it was a total headache. And that's just honesty.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The below pic was towards the end of the install, where they said it was done, and we later discovered that they left wood shims underneath the countertop. So, that obviously resulted in an additional visit.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Can I just reiterate the word 'hassle'?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Jf_cKkf4ZjKzsCCbSkWahzv7MoDz4ln70dnmJxsc3B1iqteoWh0Jfc7uTUxfg_wESxquhBKK2vc98skYiZutoXT9pRBRtYxdnZunIWohAD2RGMAjqmpVDaO1dARQAvAnmNKYySSZFpyX/s1600/white+kitchen+cabinets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Jf_cKkf4ZjKzsCCbSkWahzv7MoDz4ln70dnmJxsc3B1iqteoWh0Jfc7uTUxfg_wESxquhBKK2vc98skYiZutoXT9pRBRtYxdnZunIWohAD2RGMAjqmpVDaO1dARQAvAnmNKYySSZFpyX/s640/white+kitchen+cabinets.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyway, I tried to keep some perspective. Like, Virginia, you are installing a brand new kitchen. Get over it.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Moving on.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's a pic of when I started to paint the new pocket door. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVVoseQ8wJ90iY3OXJTeQpeLObmcnaLHTdBI3HtQ2j0sZFibNb8-pfTdFcuA1d9sRJG1sz5CLur6Am2NRmo8ngGqgGaXjVkdgECJkw0s2Cf6YePP6LZftptZK8SfpB6hc3pYEZxkU5RqeK/s1600/IMG_6780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVVoseQ8wJ90iY3OXJTeQpeLObmcnaLHTdBI3HtQ2j0sZFibNb8-pfTdFcuA1d9sRJG1sz5CLur6Am2NRmo8ngGqgGaXjVkdgECJkw0s2Cf6YePP6LZftptZK8SfpB6hc3pYEZxkU5RqeK/s640/IMG_6780.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had new doors installed throughout the house. I chose the 2 Panel Carrara. Not sure where these were from, as we ordered them through the contractor. But, I love them. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-t6s139PIDb3LO1ny7q-x0kZ6TxX_Z7u0t1Bc1NESmpmuA9seNowr0oMU_bZFK3KyvoGowxBJ52319Nr2R2g4aDXCPfKUNsPxIbVwr4ev3ocvGaz_DEQfsZq_oEf4P250ldRfZnhY58Kt/s1600/IMG_5555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-t6s139PIDb3LO1ny7q-x0kZ6TxX_Z7u0t1Bc1NESmpmuA9seNowr0oMU_bZFK3KyvoGowxBJ52319Nr2R2g4aDXCPfKUNsPxIbVwr4ev3ocvGaz_DEQfsZq_oEf4P250ldRfZnhY58Kt/s640/IMG_5555.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I painted all of the doors in the house black (specifically Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze).</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMqdsbt5Ivmsnpc40YbaWFH8DzlnnTSaNcLMSiFR1FFma4mvID9PdcE4IRBzIN9-fhg_NYviGtVTL9AXEejFUblvcCYeQclNoqkvh-DgYkZVWp9ai9_IceIvT9rHeEAjpCEUqn0_qkoSc/s1600/IMG_9345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMqdsbt5Ivmsnpc40YbaWFH8DzlnnTSaNcLMSiFR1FFma4mvID9PdcE4IRBzIN9-fhg_NYviGtVTL9AXEejFUblvcCYeQclNoqkvh-DgYkZVWp9ai9_IceIvT9rHeEAjpCEUqn0_qkoSc/s640/IMG_9345.JPG" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The backsplash I had my heart set on was this marble herringbone from the Tile Shop. I loved the look, but from what I remember it was about $20 a square foot. So, no.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcsAvek-P1qX9UYdQe6teIFvV2dRo1cyrKTVUV28Za6k_9gK6wzMPzTbU64agbIrVu8pQD1qAXu9uYO1_mvEA_FM7x01qCVvWawhP8Gw2qb4sXDbNJWsU1173YME0YuoUs2-dKeOAcJmJk/s1600/kitchen-makeover-marble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover marble tile backsplash" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcsAvek-P1qX9UYdQe6teIFvV2dRo1cyrKTVUV28Za6k_9gK6wzMPzTbU64agbIrVu8pQD1qAXu9uYO1_mvEA_FM7x01qCVvWawhP8Gw2qb4sXDbNJWsU1173YME0YuoUs2-dKeOAcJmJk/s640/kitchen-makeover-marble.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then when we got that Lowe's store credit, I just happened to find something comparable there, for much less. So, back to Lowe's I went to trust them with subbing out another installer. This was months after our GC was done, and we had that store credit to use towards the installation, so I crossed my fingers and went for it.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBWocm8h_kK2k7lkGXK-iowyjL3xZGEumPGkG2zWjzQJ1LBI7Zd07jwmvEmF5n1dKcToaKVFZVIuiNFKSqRU-M9CmBb1LZG1SlhBBxQD4LhwTyeTWlgD4I3RPFG-UaqizxWVnq0deFhlH/s1600/IMG_5740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBWocm8h_kK2k7lkGXK-iowyjL3xZGEumPGkG2zWjzQJ1LBI7Zd07jwmvEmF5n1dKcToaKVFZVIuiNFKSqRU-M9CmBb1LZG1SlhBBxQD4LhwTyeTWlgD4I3RPFG-UaqizxWVnq0deFhlH/s640/IMG_5740.JPG" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before after pictures of this kitchen!" width="570" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And fortunately, the contractors they sent us this time did an impeccable job. They were in and out in a day, and it was meticulously done. So, you just never know what you're going to get. These guys were super professional from the moment they knocked on our door though, so I had a good feeling. The other guys (the quartz countertop guys), I truly had a weird feeling from the moment they started. Trust yo gut.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHorbvGbCFwDEmOzSMx8ZuRWhMOwhJNJJ-T7aVEQx6zKfjrNgLfZFbAunXCPY53Rokc-0tc1ydAVmgdWhyXPLVyl-s3WxpVMe1Xt1D80wUIygSqcBUqKe35-gCe1-Tlk1iaQFVBrz9awnD/s1600/kitchen-makeover-ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover ideas" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHorbvGbCFwDEmOzSMx8ZuRWhMOwhJNJJ-T7aVEQx6zKfjrNgLfZFbAunXCPY53Rokc-0tc1ydAVmgdWhyXPLVyl-s3WxpVMe1Xt1D80wUIygSqcBUqKe35-gCe1-Tlk1iaQFVBrz9awnD/s640/kitchen-makeover-ideas.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="512" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This was during the install.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLaa8PIhD_KpdyaZ3WG1g4q4d67tYALHo8JQnxAKQmCEhog674f8Md1wWJIeKLVMaVpU6s97Nb6rkvcDnin0zHs-_0u4zvx_QagvBz1Vt7i_KQo9tknye9mJxknjkPn4tiO1JwkSUqPZg/s1600/kitchen-makeover-tips-install.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover tips" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLaa8PIhD_KpdyaZ3WG1g4q4d67tYALHo8JQnxAKQmCEhog674f8Md1wWJIeKLVMaVpU6s97Nb6rkvcDnin0zHs-_0u4zvx_QagvBz1Vt7i_KQo9tknye9mJxknjkPn4tiO1JwkSUqPZg/s640/kitchen-makeover-tips-install.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, here are some of the finished pictures after the kitchen makeover, the best I could get with my poor photography skills, but you'll at least get the idea. It's a space I truly adore. I spend half my life in here, I swear. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't know that I've ever been happier about a room in my house. In the words of Shania, Man, I feel like a woman!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4RRae7oDq9U9YUaWJdZ2ano7lKs4yzuK6KobquAJWGN8e7xLvDny9JDgdKJup0uhuX_-v37uApMK1hqwiwOmyJvSZh_TbVYCc4_7kS4y6zCwnKpDIXpNCQ1BGsejFaXImkxeEumCRNOR/s1600/kitchen-makeover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="kitchen makeover quartz countertops" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4RRae7oDq9U9YUaWJdZ2ano7lKs4yzuK6KobquAJWGN8e7xLvDny9JDgdKJup0uhuX_-v37uApMK1hqwiwOmyJvSZh_TbVYCc4_7kS4y6zCwnKpDIXpNCQ1BGsejFaXImkxeEumCRNOR/s640/kitchen-makeover.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="426" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpY8p9I6uCT9Jfem0rpp_YB3_gkd5ePeuZegXz1hwr52Y5qIv60Pt_URVA23t_sgwggszEHbmbcETFQG0hQzxEoxjSjH5NUKePTrNdLWDmnKeyxcpdt3c_kvv9676oYOppc2g_dNAS1t1/s1600/kitchen-makeover-quartz-countertops-white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="Kitchen makeover tips" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpY8p9I6uCT9Jfem0rpp_YB3_gkd5ePeuZegXz1hwr52Y5qIv60Pt_URVA23t_sgwggszEHbmbcETFQG0hQzxEoxjSjH5NUKePTrNdLWDmnKeyxcpdt3c_kvv9676oYOppc2g_dNAS1t1/s640/kitchen-makeover-quartz-countertops-white.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyeFV18FQlJ-Fg-e0Vb_5b_7zFabbpRO2M29qu-x066irxAKlGzuORW0AAmvEx1H6bT9wfyjk0xTG9fl4d7c_uQt0C2Ndz0Eu6yh2Tcc2nDgkr0HcR5c_XRJ_scg6WGxD7L3Y_4d56OH2/s1600/kitchen-makeover-quartz-countertops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover quartz countertops white" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyeFV18FQlJ-Fg-e0Vb_5b_7zFabbpRO2M29qu-x066irxAKlGzuORW0AAmvEx1H6bT9wfyjk0xTG9fl4d7c_uQt0C2Ndz0Eu6yh2Tcc2nDgkr0HcR5c_XRJ_scg6WGxD7L3Y_4d56OH2/s640/kitchen-makeover-quartz-countertops.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="430" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzzCQnd8RZvD4gQiv60wfb6R6QGYpl7IC_fH-Ijp5j99quMxsMZFUUWUla2OqMwKzpJGhoP8MTezM7O-jRegBTlINUAoobEpjwBkvvRFQgapg61YCQYj8ZewezaI9dWyD7PC0Xp9RKf9g/s1600/after+1.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXDcWlmGCGBUtvWibV6u8N2dLEPIlMuhRuA1L1ia4ltlHX3erEBl2eouyv4MCO3LPFljd58MYv5QNZ6a-0_3gFoAU0Hb9SBkorkhel68Y_WEBh1JJ5-hxXmOpB2bnXfXTqjVZkXNLvBo9/s1600/kitchen-makeover-backsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover herringbone marble tile" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXDcWlmGCGBUtvWibV6u8N2dLEPIlMuhRuA1L1ia4ltlHX3erEBl2eouyv4MCO3LPFljd58MYv5QNZ6a-0_3gFoAU0Hb9SBkorkhel68Y_WEBh1JJ5-hxXmOpB2bnXfXTqjVZkXNLvBo9/s640/kitchen-makeover-backsplash.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJnLK3f42y1lFtBnPSxLGWXCt6gR-T-k1c8ajcOPyn9E1HSP1pt5BDp9wt82doHDK5wAcEnW-2YtzEmGhRHaocAyAKfB8NxxhL7BKnb49f_fS-mHohG5CX4gI4y0pnuvsEIXTqVFkcK1a/s1600/after+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="kitchen makeover appliances" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqOxdC5ttgVSIfRjdxT7xvasV7rrZNiNDYEdlqFWPofR9S4NHbWY8sy3BtYzfE-rBdNO3uWSnchy1JdcmA3JKehf43R7ZC9te-06oFfgXt4yl35Ro9BcZ2E3DVaBL2ZPe_qtRDB2TyoW5/s640/kitchen-makeover-refridgerator.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I really hate having to get all of the real stuff out and attempt to get those really nice pictures (at least once!) and sometimes I notice something I forgot, like a backpack or an ipad, and just say, screw it, and then it just all goes downhill and I start using my iphone for photos or end up taking random candids at night to show you what it really looks like. Pretty sure all of these things will happen here. I am not meant to have perfectly styled photos. I resist it with every fiber of my being. I mean, are we pretending like I could do it if I really wanted to? </span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Maybe I should become a swim instructor. I haven't figured my life out yet.</span></i></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqOxdC5ttgVSIfRjdxT7xvasV7rrZNiNDYEdlqFWPofR9S4NHbWY8sy3BtYzfE-rBdNO3uWSnchy1JdcmA3JKehf43R7ZC9te-06oFfgXt4yl35Ro9BcZ2E3DVaBL2ZPe_qtRDB2TyoW5/s1600/kitchen-makeover-refridgerator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here are a few pics before and after the kitchen makeover, taken from the same angle.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhkfdbaEJcXR5t2QGQvSc2ImHrrKz5JdIhM9E4RrPpGAZm12zvRot7QtwX9bjBJYqjZr3j8K7Ou9mxepiiFKRbIpEwM7hF0sHk5JxFmj4CNMP73YiX_l6T5pvJvFapPUJ2_9txzn9UznNr/s1600/before+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhkfdbaEJcXR5t2QGQvSc2ImHrrKz5JdIhM9E4RrPpGAZm12zvRot7QtwX9bjBJYqjZr3j8K7Ou9mxepiiFKRbIpEwM7hF0sHk5JxFmj4CNMP73YiX_l6T5pvJvFapPUJ2_9txzn9UznNr/s640/before+4.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDyDowPBhr3my8ydr1NGBbQotn1mCJUKhl7cDyb-zYhhef6d5LvkContArZ1EZZV0X4PIKD-JQdUKGx_9X4wNlhqXg0zbuTLfSTILno_OQE4vGJKHDcgrZPC9k6xwHM8N7Ijcss7dOHsW/s1600/kitchen-makeover-white-cabinets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover tips" border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDyDowPBhr3my8ydr1NGBbQotn1mCJUKhl7cDyb-zYhhef6d5LvkContArZ1EZZV0X4PIKD-JQdUKGx_9X4wNlhqXg0zbuTLfSTILno_OQE4vGJKHDcgrZPC9k6xwHM8N7Ijcss7dOHsW/s640/kitchen-makeover-white-cabinets.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And from the other way...the before:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpSUmFn0A3QJjjK7vZcHu2T7XmPIMI_V6DppqOY1CL1rrp-sU3KZs0DsO9ePgkcLGbgB2a2zlRw-6f_d-AdDXZWsifapGl_8tBp9T7Rpd4vuXfk_o-TtsqAobBI6tRZtkVB-Ea4vOShe6/s1600/before+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpSUmFn0A3QJjjK7vZcHu2T7XmPIMI_V6DppqOY1CL1rrp-sU3KZs0DsO9ePgkcLGbgB2a2zlRw-6f_d-AdDXZWsifapGl_8tBp9T7Rpd4vuXfk_o-TtsqAobBI6tRZtkVB-Ea4vOShe6/s640/before+9.JPG" width="570" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The after:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-Y5tddEfqWeP1wElLrT3ShW5LPowKG4uMZLjxtuVmw_gTgghbC0tHo-6uSd2Uuk0eHgtcZvrq_6jXgK_lGLOBmNqmKZiiJ54IC7O8MF72P-N1NjYg-GC1WnHpzV7WuT49rcQ-RcmYD_B/s1600/kitchen-makeover-appliances.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover white" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-Y5tddEfqWeP1wElLrT3ShW5LPowKG4uMZLjxtuVmw_gTgghbC0tHo-6uSd2Uuk0eHgtcZvrq_6jXgK_lGLOBmNqmKZiiJ54IC7O8MF72P-N1NjYg-GC1WnHpzV7WuT49rcQ-RcmYD_B/s640/kitchen-makeover-appliances.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That little chalkboard is a thrift store mirror I painted.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(This photo should demonstrate just how much I don't stress about these quartz countertops. But, like, don't do this.)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnWmxoSXItXz8PGYAB_w9GCem6iWZ01a4hzuMYNC4RbzNBjXn3cUiFAHplchyytMt7IwyNA7KT0Ulep3d2CDcxq8b9VqS086y-X9D4C_FDEth0iamWE-ojTHM599k9GGhnIEgwnE3zmqK/s1600/IMG_7723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnWmxoSXItXz8PGYAB_w9GCem6iWZ01a4hzuMYNC4RbzNBjXn3cUiFAHplchyytMt7IwyNA7KT0Ulep3d2CDcxq8b9VqS086y-X9D4C_FDEth0iamWE-ojTHM599k9GGhnIEgwnE3zmqK/s640/IMG_7723.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIeEl5tT5JWu_53d1mhTtYZAIeXO_HNqNhzGzNPSAtSuz4hIJ8H5ZSQCe_5l80sS_YXJ04f5dHrRz57q1U9tZa4-iJ9jx26f9sY0oc4POrNtWhcUsIukdhOE-PAjBYsQomrc6ddyDrcsb/s1600/kitchen-makeover-quartz-countertops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover custom hood" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIeEl5tT5JWu_53d1mhTtYZAIeXO_HNqNhzGzNPSAtSuz4hIJ8H5ZSQCe_5l80sS_YXJ04f5dHrRz57q1U9tZa4-iJ9jx26f9sY0oc4POrNtWhcUsIukdhOE-PAjBYsQomrc6ddyDrcsb/s640/kitchen-makeover-quartz-countertops.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="430" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I haven't installed any pendant lights over the peninsula yet. I haven't found what I'm looking for there yet, and I've been looking for a long time, and part of me just wants to drywall over the holes. I'm still pondering.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXO39HZRMH5vOPTOas3tRNf0X0DzCzqn1XQoCE3Xu66x_qmTb1ULk99afq4kqaL603MvcAgCwzyt3xk_NxsOljGEgRwfLHSYKj9zDdZ1VSQ1OZq-oaIKtQqyhbQMWrQiBrOhEEnVwz5xoa/s1600/kitchen-makeover-ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover tips" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXO39HZRMH5vOPTOas3tRNf0X0DzCzqn1XQoCE3Xu66x_qmTb1ULk99afq4kqaL603MvcAgCwzyt3xk_NxsOljGEgRwfLHSYKj9zDdZ1VSQ1OZq-oaIKtQqyhbQMWrQiBrOhEEnVwz5xoa/s640/kitchen-makeover-ideas.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The chairs I got from <a href="http://www.cb2.com/phoenix-ivory-24-counter-stool/s271872">CB2</a>. They are white leather with chrome legs, and I r</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">eally, really love them because they don't take up much space and are pretty comfortable. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUW226U6Ui3CjVqA_XlSMODXHyeZPkM3yO3xrdnY10jUAm5jqut6gg9a4CxO-iOPyJ-hIptnJxC7OTzJm6NthS-bGtpQwmk5wSvagqAI8h4ref6ZRBiWnrDAJcWVd3PDL-pGJjDiPV6K_9/s1600/quartz-countertops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover barstools island" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUW226U6Ui3CjVqA_XlSMODXHyeZPkM3yO3xrdnY10jUAm5jqut6gg9a4CxO-iOPyJ-hIptnJxC7OTzJm6NthS-bGtpQwmk5wSvagqAI8h4ref6ZRBiWnrDAJcWVd3PDL-pGJjDiPV6K_9/s640/quartz-countertops.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The rug is my favorite thing in the kitchen. It was in my grandmother's house for decades and she gave it to me a few years back. I've been hoarding it for years, never having the right spot for it. And as the kitchen started to come together, I started looking online for little antique rugs, and I realized I had this one rolled up in the garage. It was a real lightbulb moment. I'll never ever move it.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie6dSb9M590PCbhuXiHFBAuxExhafuXv-mPh3jc7jESbqXLyT4XRDr69j6r3iSPCUfCnd7QT7V8NPsZijTHsfqmxTKQ78B75T37-GKLcq4lzC8Ec0Ae7lBfXJINnJ61109t6ff_vPoOT7B/s1600/kitchen-makeover-rug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover rug" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie6dSb9M590PCbhuXiHFBAuxExhafuXv-mPh3jc7jESbqXLyT4XRDr69j6r3iSPCUfCnd7QT7V8NPsZijTHsfqmxTKQ78B75T37-GKLcq4lzC8Ec0Ae7lBfXJINnJ61109t6ff_vPoOT7B/s640/kitchen-makeover-rug.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm also really in love with the custom hood. It was one of my few splurges during the kitchen makeover, and worth every penny. Not having to get any appliances (except the fridge and microwave) really helped me with the budget.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dMy4t42cVgLzr8uliW-LYpFjvAHqbgp2F8Pj-gX2eKBTif2Emky0HokxpPpriC8OAJliq28jwnSjv6MgoHz1as9C1qbr8y0G8AwKwWRFkN5R2SkJ2tIHIftCmhpIUzvu-AtNoAAwyZSy/s1600/kitchen-makeover-hood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="kitchen makeover hood " border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dMy4t42cVgLzr8uliW-LYpFjvAHqbgp2F8Pj-gX2eKBTif2Emky0HokxpPpriC8OAJliq28jwnSjv6MgoHz1as9C1qbr8y0G8AwKwWRFkN5R2SkJ2tIHIftCmhpIUzvu-AtNoAAwyZSy/s640/kitchen-makeover-hood.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The faucet was also provided to us by Moen. It's the <a href="http://www.moen.com/products/Brantford/Brantford_Spot_resist_stainless_onehandle_high_arc_pulldown_kitchen_faucet/7185SRS">Brantford</a> spot resist stainless steel faucet and it has a little pull down handle, which I absolutely love. And obviously that sink. The freaking sink. For specifics, it's the <a href="http://www.moen.com/products/1800_Series/1800_Series_30_x_21_stainless_steel_18_gauge_single_bowl_sink/G18121">Moen</a> 1800 series stainless steel single bowl sink.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJex58vTUcQlizZPMtDRMYdJRCuKtHWdMkkSDMTe2hUUNlqpACpZfHLaSoO-KJpN7nkuotQMQuHkJnMFe8UelRDLyWBrIoBpQvoBmBZE7gXzBzq8ZxfQ5mruN3UFB4SLW2aoD5oZyQgaqL/s1600/kitchen-makeover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="kitchen makeover tips" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJex58vTUcQlizZPMtDRMYdJRCuKtHWdMkkSDMTe2hUUNlqpACpZfHLaSoO-KJpN7nkuotQMQuHkJnMFe8UelRDLyWBrIoBpQvoBmBZE7gXzBzq8ZxfQ5mruN3UFB4SLW2aoD5oZyQgaqL/s640/kitchen-makeover.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I love the way the kitchen looks at night, too, with the lights on. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiubWDmWW23AIro-iyxXK2Svq3XtO_y2efZqUE9xKbRmng2MgzMUwQBCSIOFz1kXnfosQfcUD55-p-ckkXWrtWo8Pzs1VnNk51oAlyw6W0QOO8vrrspehV7ZH6lP788aVkHQFd9EifOTN1/s1600/kitchen-makeover-quartz-caesarstone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="kitchen makeover ideas" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiubWDmWW23AIro-iyxXK2Svq3XtO_y2efZqUE9xKbRmng2MgzMUwQBCSIOFz1kXnfosQfcUD55-p-ckkXWrtWo8Pzs1VnNk51oAlyw6W0QOO8vrrspehV7ZH6lP788aVkHQFd9EifOTN1/s640/kitchen-makeover-quartz-caesarstone.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-EXxYPCocivTfR_OT1bU7FEPA2uMgfIfTR1UM0BQX3JCegk3sTYrXsEONDRhs99EkbuvWinVMQmaaZT5G-efsSjfhOhN-U90yBFK_GCfIrycZTfzOivsRySs3n8Ilj_u0qxnNKZOdqwhx/s1600/kitchen-makeover-custom-hood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="kitchen makeover" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-EXxYPCocivTfR_OT1bU7FEPA2uMgfIfTR1UM0BQX3JCegk3sTYrXsEONDRhs99EkbuvWinVMQmaaZT5G-efsSjfhOhN-U90yBFK_GCfIrycZTfzOivsRySs3n8Ilj_u0qxnNKZOdqwhx/s640/kitchen-makeover-custom-hood.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We installed undermount lighting under all the cabinets, and it's just so warm and inviting. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My grandmother also gave me some of her china and silver when we got married, and I never used it, thinking I would ruin it. When we moved here, and started unpacking, I decided to unpack the little beauties and use them. I'm sure I will end up ruining them, but I'm never going to have any formal dinners or fancy parties where people use silver, so what am I waiting for? I put my gold Target scissors in there, too, because they deserve it.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhal91O-LrPjlrhS5d5FjeNoWahaN8-5PpnyyKopEspN4FlVfHwceElmkkCl6pK7eH0hpgv_Phuc6OY2SX3xVuazG3tmE1mFAbKACZ-Z4xj0TrxGl34d76c2YuI9o8-zfJYVf1qXEgkE2mJ/s1600/after+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhal91O-LrPjlrhS5d5FjeNoWahaN8-5PpnyyKopEspN4FlVfHwceElmkkCl6pK7eH0hpgv_Phuc6OY2SX3xVuazG3tmE1mFAbKACZ-Z4xj0TrxGl34d76c2YuI9o8-zfJYVf1qXEgkE2mJ/s640/after+12.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjImJf7ol04z4OzGzmVrfbdAmz2SAw5NCxHh50k06G8LnNEuxgWliCus8zO5rymTz23ALbeaRMy3sankYomfsNs-RRncnO5anlw3hA6EPN0V7x82eagWSP80s78UDpVbDYHGl1upRxRfFEK/s1600/kitchen-makeover-marble-tile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="kitchen makeover" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjImJf7ol04z4OzGzmVrfbdAmz2SAw5NCxHh50k06G8LnNEuxgWliCus8zO5rymTz23ALbeaRMy3sankYomfsNs-RRncnO5anlw3hA6EPN0V7x82eagWSP80s78UDpVbDYHGl1upRxRfFEK/s640/kitchen-makeover-marble-tile.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8-JFPgfN89tYBluscpjhI8XNAEJwN1yqrIOZXjGn6A_m_8k2aLtmWkhblGHlhoJBwDWuKs9nNcg_OtDks6WCzNegyvid1zzyOlhmZg2MxKdEb_sC-b5pFomK4vOC_An5ks5DBRAhXZIW/s1600/kitchen-makeover-quartz-countertops-white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="kitchen makeover before and after" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8-JFPgfN89tYBluscpjhI8XNAEJwN1yqrIOZXjGn6A_m_8k2aLtmWkhblGHlhoJBwDWuKs9nNcg_OtDks6WCzNegyvid1zzyOlhmZg2MxKdEb_sC-b5pFomK4vOC_An5ks5DBRAhXZIW/s640/kitchen-makeover-quartz-countertops-white.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's a good before and after comparison.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRsIn8FBL97yTk0OYpqG3gi7Y0jOoNFNu5TjY1pM1-ChALmm5XTmD1DSTRS_UolW5hlsIhDlb9im5614vidJrLVqsAN1qejNEeuG0XO0TTEXZXIDyZ25LFusYwVEHenXEg-2Gcf1nkrrF/s1600/DSC01656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRsIn8FBL97yTk0OYpqG3gi7Y0jOoNFNu5TjY1pM1-ChALmm5XTmD1DSTRS_UolW5hlsIhDlb9im5614vidJrLVqsAN1qejNEeuG0XO0TTEXZXIDyZ25LFusYwVEHenXEg-2Gcf1nkrrF/s640/DSC01656.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtNvgFdR2nur-erseLQVq65kzH8QqRQWicYSEGh043lTYfID6Hkug1FZ9T-D8Y4AyTjl_gA-F_N1s-fpt5NTt5pOhaG3umRgUfor5dp9rz1r93sEb8NesNdHMSfMOo4pC-6hmCeZXZCII/s1600/after+17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk93ZvlODQmZxxN2XYtBpWYn65vHRfDBIokEb6n9XUqOKwuP_639HtSythcFOsIyxPxO1zHuOWbwIq8mBRMEIaXhisy0_01l0x454m1g6IaYxC2J1ufWOj7AMwHzMnMTorKLsrZ1PqtSQA/s1600/kitchen-makeover-layout-ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="kitchen makeover" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk93ZvlODQmZxxN2XYtBpWYn65vHRfDBIokEb6n9XUqOKwuP_639HtSythcFOsIyxPxO1zHuOWbwIq8mBRMEIaXhisy0_01l0x454m1g6IaYxC2J1ufWOj7AMwHzMnMTorKLsrZ1PqtSQA/s640/kitchen-makeover-layout-ideas.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I obviously couldn't be bothered to take down the baby gate. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And another one.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yYYxE9q4F206Us7FGLfdvhvo20VpZZJzQU-lgHQOnV9JzzRtwWotC5nBkd1AuwmueQzbTlFKWDEgtKD8ok4-Gco7XSSS6auY60S24x_DUrx2GDiAgyKRy2Wg0Dl-5XKFpL7rgXPOZdl7/s1600/IMG_3452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yYYxE9q4F206Us7FGLfdvhvo20VpZZJzQU-lgHQOnV9JzzRtwWotC5nBkd1AuwmueQzbTlFKWDEgtKD8ok4-Gco7XSSS6auY60S24x_DUrx2GDiAgyKRy2Wg0Dl-5XKFpL7rgXPOZdl7/s640/IMG_3452.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXrNgFdltimaWDILDudXHcq-78phyphenhyphenPe3OVFW_IOV_WLR6FJttfUQIqi7Rzi7J9QDlIm1kuGiLzzWWtS4OYCjGTioh6TpkGsw5rl_YdfxvL9UhZ6WGoE5EoG3QKnFTZPSROfXwFpgQ46E1/s1600/kitchen+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXrNgFdltimaWDILDudXHcq-78phyphenhyphenPe3OVFW_IOV_WLR6FJttfUQIqi7Rzi7J9QDlIm1kuGiLzzWWtS4OYCjGTioh6TpkGsw5rl_YdfxvL9UhZ6WGoE5EoG3QKnFTZPSROfXwFpgQ46E1/s640/kitchen+3.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before after pictures of this kitchen!" width="426" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, that's the kitchen makeover.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Omg I did it and it turned out okay.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To all of you who have interacted with me for months over on Instagram, thank you for sticking with me while I wasn't writing blog posts, thanks for cheering me on, and thanks for being so excited about me coming back. It really means the world to me, and it was just what I needed during a time when I was my most insecure and anxious. There's not enough Lexapro in the world to substitute for the mental boost you guys constantly gave me during the renovation.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For those of you who don't follow me on Instagram (where I've already shared these and SO many more....like, tone it down, Virg.), here are a few snapshots of us living in the kitchen over the past few months. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZUo5yXaZQQkesvb3Udh-KOzciXHxtIZ-fzPFpv2rlt4jlJJ7TWlQKhAylQG5-hLD5GW_oswaqfkVmLfwtMuHCnJrgNcvyos4kJXUyZuDzI4bQ7Q58tE0xj5BWKinNqrNrF3FWH6wPWuv/s1600/IMG_6884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZUo5yXaZQQkesvb3Udh-KOzciXHxtIZ-fzPFpv2rlt4jlJJ7TWlQKhAylQG5-hLD5GW_oswaqfkVmLfwtMuHCnJrgNcvyos4kJXUyZuDzI4bQ7Q58tE0xj5BWKinNqrNrF3FWH6wPWuv/s640/IMG_6884.JPG" width="512" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I strapped Ava's booster seat to the lucite chair. It does delight the mama.</span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>
</i></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlq1moQkMmPrwTGCEnIhmc4ok0V4cW-KdH2P318DGfx9EpZkgis65ENoNnlT-0YY2DgI6vCclm8r_b5vSa3kj9RW_VZvq9Eq1scMuBmuH9jX5tD1tZyY5BbjC5HCvGkfJSODVckD5Lgi_Q/s1600/IMG_7816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlq1moQkMmPrwTGCEnIhmc4ok0V4cW-KdH2P318DGfx9EpZkgis65ENoNnlT-0YY2DgI6vCclm8r_b5vSa3kj9RW_VZvq9Eq1scMuBmuH9jX5tD1tZyY5BbjC5HCvGkfJSODVckD5Lgi_Q/s640/IMG_7816.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>This was about 10 minutes before our huge Christmas party we threw at the house. It was truly awesome and made me feel so happy. My bestie, Marg, was staying with us that weekend from out of town, and she gave Ava her old Christmas overalls that she found at her mom's house. They were too small, and Ava kept blowing the crotch snaps out. It was a real hit.</i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6qj-dQ8TKK9N_UdAOzjMmulvTBbmy9H0bvc2Zd3xjTiR8kEVp_N9MvA3wRstoyVQGe_NDrKKnIfpKpj1cZvwOc1ewnWbQEqXeW8_958mX2_49PrxnQoC5DHPOS0BLJTRuah0cXN4DqXW/s1600/IMG_8993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6qj-dQ8TKK9N_UdAOzjMmulvTBbmy9H0bvc2Zd3xjTiR8kEVp_N9MvA3wRstoyVQGe_NDrKKnIfpKpj1cZvwOc1ewnWbQEqXeW8_958mX2_49PrxnQoC5DHPOS0BLJTRuah0cXN4DqXW/s640/IMG_8993.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>I mean, just a girl in a tutu spaghetti strap dress in the dead of winter. You make it work, friends.</i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_c30l6TxexAPVsvp5xNP1uzmH76ixomwAC9fDBWYU6ZzXQL_J6xHKkx8XFDzzzVhGqgwVJgJUb7LHQ7NnuWF6NfBC91Bs7ej5aMWPv_m_QcBDK0l59h0iBy_UzjYDxczQ9k3Z31hBMZg/s1600/IMG_8044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_c30l6TxexAPVsvp5xNP1uzmH76ixomwAC9fDBWYU6ZzXQL_J6xHKkx8XFDzzzVhGqgwVJgJUb7LHQ7NnuWF6NfBC91Bs7ej5aMWPv_m_QcBDK0l59h0iBy_UzjYDxczQ9k3Z31hBMZg/s640/IMG_8044.JPG" width="570" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>I think that was Christmas Eve. Jesse was making some Ohio peanut butter balls. Buckeyes, maybe? He made them way too big, and he made way too many, and we ate them for a month. Who's complaining.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>I was wining and coloring, and Ava was Scooby-Dooing and snacking.</i></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We're pretty happy here in the new house. My life is always kinda messy. I have a strong personality, and I'm kinda always flinging about and trying to find my way. I'm feeling softer lately, like things make more sense. I can just be myself. I don't know if it's the house, the toddler, or a combination of the both. Or maybe the fact that I've persevered through both. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSA0bdFEPMunZ0w7HpvZMyxuWpzwxh8v4tKJQ4vuDBX4VjIIDMPeTzyFZ0vaD0Gf5XZr8o7xcKsygd85PXfAL3MbZhyphenhyphen8ZHl3ejJYH6gadOMxlbwU5jXiid7be07r1OjZlbPOQAgxQ7MDU/s1600/IMG_8494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSA0bdFEPMunZ0w7HpvZMyxuWpzwxh8v4tKJQ4vuDBX4VjIIDMPeTzyFZ0vaD0Gf5XZr8o7xcKsygd85PXfAL3MbZhyphenhyphen8ZHl3ejJYH6gadOMxlbwU5jXiid7be07r1OjZlbPOQAgxQ7MDU/s640/IMG_8494.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank you guys for being here. I'm so happy to get to share with you again. And I don't take it for granted for a second. It's truly a blessing to get to do what I do, even if I have to take a break once in awhile.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm thinking my next post will be about the living room and the dining room, perhaps the pics from the renovation when the flooring was going in, etc. There's a lot to talk about in this area. So, I think I'm headed there next. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtby8ZyAlGmYr6TnE22FmHz2PiistlOVylakRGKswRMvETdljVgaN0Z05xa8TmrHmelu9nxBQG9JIZy2cFQe9bp9HfD-JfnfsVGnUMU0xRs94FCL24hGFX7EGHqN7Ui_nmuQ35Q4c2dvfE/s1600/IMG_9317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtby8ZyAlGmYr6TnE22FmHz2PiistlOVylakRGKswRMvETdljVgaN0Z05xa8TmrHmelu9nxBQG9JIZy2cFQe9bp9HfD-JfnfsVGnUMU0xRs94FCL24hGFX7EGHqN7Ui_nmuQ35Q4c2dvfE/s640/IMG_9317.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm hoping to kinda work through all the areas in the house that are completed, bit by bit, and then later on, we can move on to all the stuff that is not done. I mean, like I painted 2 of my 3 bathroom floors. I got to the end of the reno budget we had set aside for this house, and was like, welp, I'll just start painting everything in sight that can't be gutted, and we'll circle back around later. And as a result, I accidentally created some fun (probably temporary) solutions that I actually kinda love. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From limitations comes creativity, my friends. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I feel like I just accidentally Luanne De Lessep-ed that line.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Love you all.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Virginia</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrV3GHkFVkS3HdoC6exNk9JPJzEMPqc_YyIM_SeBkb7h9azJjcFz68y2FoYvfNDAF70dJXgbiBgTD0KO8Gmw9uSI694eJprLEjwubDFEPoBDHO5_gc8ASWTYdTCGviD6vC7koAp5z0xqn/s1600/kitchen-makeover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="kitchen makeover" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrV3GHkFVkS3HdoC6exNk9JPJzEMPqc_YyIM_SeBkb7h9azJjcFz68y2FoYvfNDAF70dJXgbiBgTD0KO8Gmw9uSI694eJprLEjwubDFEPoBDHO5_gc8ASWTYdTCGviD6vC7koAp5z0xqn/s640/kitchen-makeover.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="512" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9DQffnP0BgJo8rKL74gFzQ61-64UWIZdZYui7-rFqBHc9MG3CPOqyU1pkSmJGcuFghSBZPTf_BR8KS3pLfG4umLaZMX_WezrQZGyYzwpyVMxdU_RQRe9-qGayjiMIu1c-C6a1zMWkSQp/s1600/kitchen-makeover-quartz-countertops-tips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="kitchen makeover tips" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9DQffnP0BgJo8rKL74gFzQ61-64UWIZdZYui7-rFqBHc9MG3CPOqyU1pkSmJGcuFghSBZPTf_BR8KS3pLfG4umLaZMX_WezrQZGyYzwpyVMxdU_RQRe9-qGayjiMIu1c-C6a1zMWkSQp/s640/kitchen-makeover-quartz-countertops-tips.jpg" title="Our Kitchen Makeover: Mistakes and Learning Lessons. You won't believe the before and after pictures of this kitchen!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<center>
</center>
<center>
</center>
<center>
Follow my blog with<br /><a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3384224/?claim=jkea24f9wt7"><img align="middle" alt="bloglovin' photo BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii634/livelovediy/BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" width="30%" /></a></center>
<br />
<center>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.image-maps.com/m/private/7229/5712-LiveLoveDIYSOCIAL_zps2f8f6f4a.jpg" height="45" id="Image-Maps-Com-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" usemap="#image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" width="300" /><map id="ImageMapsCom-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" name="image-maps-2014-02-16-213014"><area alt="pinterest" coords="43,0,84,43" href="http://www.pinterest.com/livelovediy/" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Pinterest"></area><area alt="facebook" coords="88,1,127,42" href="https://www.facebook.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Facebook"></area><area alt="instagram" coords="132,1,173,42" href="http://instagram.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Instagram"></area><area alt="twitter" coords="177,0,219,41" href="https://twitter.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Twitter"></area><area alt="Image Map" coords="298,43,300,45" href="http://www.image-maps.com/index.php?aff=mapped_users_7229" shape="rect" title="Image Map"></area></map><form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=livelovediy/PtTE', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 0px solid #ccc; padding: 0px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small;">Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email!</span></b><br />
Enter your email address:<br />
<input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br />
<input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form>
</center>
LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com136tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-53270180375938449082016-09-01T12:35:00.001-04:002016-09-01T12:35:38.269-04:00The Renovation Has Officially Begun: Part One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGu857OQvruvxXvTNLYWWhgsQ_1X9Ow2PkDh9QY67JKpf-t98k1OwGxyzRqnAZo5OmRRISH3XOL2ZMN-YZkcTE0eaVI7hLtrfB5U-dljvLsBCa0NHULUlzvINEH3jAc0BbIWSCOURzvjU/s1600/remodeling+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="home remodeling ideas renovation" border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGu857OQvruvxXvTNLYWWhgsQ_1X9Ow2PkDh9QY67JKpf-t98k1OwGxyzRqnAZo5OmRRISH3XOL2ZMN-YZkcTE0eaVI7hLtrfB5U-dljvLsBCa0NHULUlzvINEH3jAc0BbIWSCOURzvjU/s400/remodeling+ideas.jpg" title="The Renovation Has Officially Begun: Part One!" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hey you guys!!! </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm so excited. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The renovation has finally begun! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">As many of you know (especially if you've been following on </span><a href="http://www.instagram.com/livelovediy" style="text-align: center;">Instagram</a><span style="text-align: center;">), we've been in our new house now for a little over a month, scheduling contractors and doing some light renovation work ourselves (aka me painting in my sweatpants every night). But, finally this week, we began the actual renovation.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since we have a toddler who needs naps and normalcy, we moved out of our house for a couple weeks and into my mom's house (with Tootie in tow) while the majority of the big work gets done. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We hired a general contractor to handle subs for the demo, drywall, and electrical work, and then we hired the floor guy that did such an amazing job on our last home. My top priority when hiring these guys was quality, but also speed. Our GC did two houses for a friend of mine (and both were full gut jobs that turned into dream homes) and our flooring guys did our last house (while I was pregnant) and were just a dream to work with. And both were able to give me timelines that had me back in my house in a couple weeks. So, you never really know how these things will work out, but so far I'm feeling really good about the work that is being done. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The contractors have been in our house for two days, and we've gone over in the evenings to check out the progress and take pictures. So, some of these pics are from day one, and some are from day two. The lighting is kinda bad, but you get the idea.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, let's get to the updates.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The most exciting one first: the kitchen was completely demoed! The cabinetry was removed and the old tile flooring was gutted. We discovered some sweet bright orange walls underneath. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGkAE_HnDllpa-Gs2ccjnR3SkpDce6C1G5eYsDFbcTGNFKx1GaxTuqLWwnnfkW2QUjRIwP2a3gyswFZ95ATr9BldJAWSmU22-NnHewNWvENe4rOhAZh2EFZ2rrKoTMkEpfUjhfR7p6RPGs/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGkAE_HnDllpa-Gs2ccjnR3SkpDce6C1G5eYsDFbcTGNFKx1GaxTuqLWwnnfkW2QUjRIwP2a3gyswFZ95ATr9BldJAWSmU22-NnHewNWvENe4rOhAZh2EFZ2rrKoTMkEpfUjhfR7p6RPGs/s640/1.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On day two, some of the damaged subfloor was replaced and they began framing the pocket door (if you look at the above picture, you can see where they completely took that wall out. When we went to go check the house out last night, Jesse was like, 'Oooh I love it without the wall.' And I was like, yeah, me too, but there will be cabinetry on one side and then a small child's bedroom on the other side. So, POCKET DOOR.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Y'all, I'm so excited to be able to demo a kitchen for the first time in my life and build it back from scratch. But, there are a lot of limitations with the space I'm working with, and with my budget, so although it will be the small kitchen of my dreams, there will also be a lot of things I had to compromise on. Like don't expect any sub zero appliances. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have a child to raise.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOt_uenPBgGPC1sgpXZr5bUp9H6IAoDk9IGk8Y9zs9h3TjNZ9fgjDm_dYyi5FLppL2ZDvuezxdMc95kRUss_cCpoZItSIVwb3h76mXz5Ezv6-XOXk9XLWDva_i0f_1Y1glu3TmtNmmrXzO/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOt_uenPBgGPC1sgpXZr5bUp9H6IAoDk9IGk8Y9zs9h3TjNZ9fgjDm_dYyi5FLppL2ZDvuezxdMc95kRUss_cCpoZItSIVwb3h76mXz5Ezv6-XOXk9XLWDva_i0f_1Y1glu3TmtNmmrXzO/s640/8.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Speaking of that sweet child, here are the stairs to her bedroom. The carpet was removed.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs88GhHuvhZFczbUaNA7Vt2VyyTYAlu5ORvIar2Zro30AdzTxUNkEV_gxP8OiM4o72EMi6hTJJ34-kGiH-Zv6HLrJUSOSFR94gSVkiqkSV9dW4XLVzzy3GYSJcBSd50bditgidM2GSkLab/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs88GhHuvhZFczbUaNA7Vt2VyyTYAlu5ORvIar2Zro30AdzTxUNkEV_gxP8OiM4o72EMi6hTJJ34-kGiH-Zv6HLrJUSOSFR94gSVkiqkSV9dW4XLVzzy3GYSJcBSd50bditgidM2GSkLab/s640/3.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On day one, they removed the partition in the room and discovered that it wasn't load bearing. So, we don't even need a header there. There are two boob lights and a ceiling fan in this room, so when they remove the popcorn ceiling, they will also be removing all of the lighting and replacing it with ONE light in the center of the room. Also, it was hard for me to tell with the partition, but this room is huge. Ava's room will be bigger than our bedroom, and about the size of the living room. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What a lucky little bug.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeGgdsH-zTCDd1z1okK29-wuqiwSN5f2-NGxcdwUS_yTM675W9K-ilKi3fvvbVwOi7ud0aSq114T9G3OCWBamGXALhIH4CtRFEk5jcMM2FQ2PAAY96fRERLf4HgV5R9bDAEs4irZTaxpz/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeGgdsH-zTCDd1z1okK29-wuqiwSN5f2-NGxcdwUS_yTM675W9K-ilKi3fvvbVwOi7ud0aSq114T9G3OCWBamGXALhIH4CtRFEk5jcMM2FQ2PAAY96fRERLf4HgV5R9bDAEs4irZTaxpz/s640/2.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This below pic is from day two. They removed the carpet, mudded the ceilings, and framed and mudded the new doorway for Ava's room. Remember how there wasn't one? Ava has been living in the bedroom on the below level, as it was the ONLY room in the house with a door on it. So, I'm so excited to finally get her in her big 'ol room and make it cute for her.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-QhV_WqY6U5Cm3CpDQQYD7HgwMlWS8C72ZEVOb3ZADH7EJ19Ju_JX8Bzfls4p31e9mmcd7GMtW-vZ1rz5-HYNpUWmH8OHHqRGKx62tU_mHgjlswm1HP5diNLA3C56bRxSlBQenpKrhi1/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-QhV_WqY6U5Cm3CpDQQYD7HgwMlWS8C72ZEVOb3ZADH7EJ19Ju_JX8Bzfls4p31e9mmcd7GMtW-vZ1rz5-HYNpUWmH8OHHqRGKx62tU_mHgjlswm1HP5diNLA3C56bRxSlBQenpKrhi1/s640/14.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's her new doorway from the other side. So, she'll have her own little bathroom, but we decided not to enclose it in her room. That way the bathroom is accessible from the outside as well.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdNagBrTVN1FfRP-CM0IP-BW5k1jM_pomASTPOVasiTIcyO13Yz6GJGf9a63cya7MEH-b8iGKN8gCiOlNc4Mi-dft8fw3Q1wUkA3cXbpaU_nvWt6nb-R1rTQei9H6zLZSwqCT8S210ybT/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdNagBrTVN1FfRP-CM0IP-BW5k1jM_pomASTPOVasiTIcyO13Yz6GJGf9a63cya7MEH-b8iGKN8gCiOlNc4Mi-dft8fw3Q1wUkA3cXbpaU_nvWt6nb-R1rTQei9H6zLZSwqCT8S210ybT/s640/7.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, moving on....the carpet was removed on the stairs leading up into the master bedroom, too. I'm super excited about this, as the carpet was coated in about an inch of dog hair. Plus, it's just so easy to visualize what it will look like now that it's gone. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9WdclWu1o6rTEml4Hk9sq5CiEclVamRLhgTrhZ7JydPfgSF7eCcNp-GRPUMFmt40mhHcZM1BONn9e8qyECXbkdbFL2AeMzjKXGCMZ3NoZ4JEIeiPQk3inOJH3dyxCO30rqyo2SLKfkWj/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9WdclWu1o6rTEml4Hk9sq5CiEclVamRLhgTrhZ7JydPfgSF7eCcNp-GRPUMFmt40mhHcZM1BONn9e8qyECXbkdbFL2AeMzjKXGCMZ3NoZ4JEIeiPQk3inOJH3dyxCO30rqyo2SLKfkWj/s640/10.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When you walk up the stairs to the master, there was originally no door there (like, WHAT is the deal?!), so on day one they framed in the door.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRxYPtZDkQpdJw62214vuXTslDuaYZ-xeMMVWIkNBmS96Zsx-aeNQDTOmlYL4F1yfoE1zn7AkzuGjcZ05ljBSBudLQiAaEmwXsgfgAz9jDn-0mfCrlEm1n-ypB1vD1dFtIgzr5JJhERv-/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRxYPtZDkQpdJw62214vuXTslDuaYZ-xeMMVWIkNBmS96Zsx-aeNQDTOmlYL4F1yfoE1zn7AkzuGjcZ05ljBSBudLQiAaEmwXsgfgAz9jDn-0mfCrlEm1n-ypB1vD1dFtIgzr5JJhERv-/s640/5.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And this is what it looked like on day two with the drywall up. Nothing has been mudded or painted yet (I'm pretty sure we are saving money by 'allowing' me to paint everything...hold me, mama.).</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They also demoed the carpet and there were so many pet stains. I've dealt with this in both houses now, and there are few things that feel better than getting rid of someone else's pet pee carpet.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also, no judgement there. I've lived with a cat named Cheese (RIP sweet girl) who liked to poop on my carpet on a daily basis. You do the best you can. I get it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydMs3ggELdM6n0Zx-emc5et73LyCnd4gSrM6tKODqlAnb7OhgfjhxXfBQMtf-BxTvnMe2rf9599WcI0AKMPpeL-WEijqNrSqZ2_YkUz9CQgfzOiJWI-68-6nHgfirmC38puzajgs_7wDQ/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydMs3ggELdM6n0Zx-emc5et73LyCnd4gSrM6tKODqlAnb7OhgfjhxXfBQMtf-BxTvnMe2rf9599WcI0AKMPpeL-WEijqNrSqZ2_YkUz9CQgfzOiJWI-68-6nHgfirmC38puzajgs_7wDQ/s640/11.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also, let's take a minute to appreciate Tootie (who is bathing next to me as I write this in a bedroom at my mom's house), for being the cleanest, most low maintenance little gal ever.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thanks, Toot.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Moving on...so back in the main living area, the closet by the entrance was demoed. I'm so glad I decided to do that, as it really opens it up.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijhyphenhyphenRA41ORKQzD73bbXiYMaXD5hyphenhyphentSTAHjTebBQFc9b55fA87xE3x8XbEMtF16hJlb0iTYu3UGRYUXnHFL9j9njO2EwQKFDCyJ4gi5mxfy2aoIxh9KsN3A7ajA9QniYqwaebtHC9xFRGx/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijhyphenhyphenRA41ORKQzD73bbXiYMaXD5hyphenhyphentSTAHjTebBQFc9b55fA87xE3x8XbEMtF16hJlb0iTYu3UGRYUXnHFL9j9njO2EwQKFDCyJ4gi5mxfy2aoIxh9KsN3A7ajA9QniYqwaebtHC9xFRGx/s640/4.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's a crappy picture from day two after they started fixing the drywall. It's obviously not done yet, but I'm excited by the quick progress.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanliuRcCkAi8WZhkKPZjphbfTsWdV1Q4qBIbDwrsNkUTRGvovxDCyRSzZeutiWOj3jSQTNlJHuYEBcAwj7rdAHl-_K4f50omWGvrAWk6H6O_u_3JYoBXktlyV1V4GYkoXLdCmYjvYpguo/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanliuRcCkAi8WZhkKPZjphbfTsWdV1Q4qBIbDwrsNkUTRGvovxDCyRSzZeutiWOj3jSQTNlJHuYEBcAwj7rdAHl-_K4f50omWGvrAWk6H6O_u_3JYoBXktlyV1V4GYkoXLdCmYjvYpguo/s640/9.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jesse also had them rip the wainscotting down (it was that kinda faux wainscotting where they just painted the wall with gloss paint and attached a few pieces of trim). I had planned on removing the wainscotting, but I knew Jesse was going to be the one rebuilding it, so I had kinda planned to leave it there until he got around to doing it. So, now, it's off and I'll just be staring at it until he gets a free day to fix it after we move back in.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's ridiculous that our entire house is torn apart and I'm like, but when can you do the wainscotting, Jesse?!! Poor man. He's so good to me and I often don't deserve it.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilps6_14kp4qQc-QtIRyBfARWsU6dvx0bhH-XRlEJDxDl3slFpTBqX093VBhvhYDXsnRQqhQ_I36BA1pQOcIlBv21aJgDZ8wI4g25Fd82O3Hkyf0CMZC705yqBUTWAmBHMaiZuCRjMGe_2/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilps6_14kp4qQc-QtIRyBfARWsU6dvx0bhH-XRlEJDxDl3slFpTBqX093VBhvhYDXsnRQqhQ_I36BA1pQOcIlBv21aJgDZ8wI4g25Fd82O3Hkyf0CMZC705yqBUTWAmBHMaiZuCRjMGe_2/s640/16.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Moving down into the basement, here's the pic I captured on day one. We were trying to hold Ava while we walked through the house (because danger) and the little stinker was attempting escape at every turn. She never stops moving, I swear. It's precious and exhausting at the same time.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the basement on day one, they just took the drywall off the pole to see what was up. They do indeed need a header here, so that's being worked on now.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIEHuGUxrj5QHbXffjJcQ3gZJyzjrlyV__mZ7utOY-GSzhYjnGKjNd-fFx_m_61fRXrdDCfH8k5T8NSZ3ScSu7yRiVOLEGB9TjAVwu98GUc38eum8b7WAcZNSd8muCnp-T6htddCBv5vR/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIEHuGUxrj5QHbXffjJcQ3gZJyzjrlyV__mZ7utOY-GSzhYjnGKjNd-fFx_m_61fRXrdDCfH8k5T8NSZ3ScSu7yRiVOLEGB9TjAVwu98GUc38eum8b7WAcZNSd8muCnp-T6htddCBv5vR/s640/6.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On day two (sorry for the night pic), they had removed the scary wooden light fixture and pulled up the stinkiest carpet ever. Like you could smell it from up the stairs. I wasn't really all that jazzed about that situation. But, it's gone now and I can start to imagine what it will feel like down here. Still a lot to do, but progress has been made. The flooring guys just got to the house today, and it looks like the upstairs flooring will be done by next weekend. We may move back in by the time they are installing the tile down here, but time will tell.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7Rz2mMOcHDIerDmU_5kMj9eRwBXi2ew5PPqb8UijKXp1XgAYYS9lMjgyQn8pdRY6QPmW_fMJ08hdbmlVwxG78r1Lg9o4KodUJneAU70Qlv-dmKAhZXxe1CRoT7Sz1E11EjOQqL_z6-mE/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7Rz2mMOcHDIerDmU_5kMj9eRwBXi2ew5PPqb8UijKXp1XgAYYS9lMjgyQn8pdRY6QPmW_fMJ08hdbmlVwxG78r1Lg9o4KodUJneAU70Qlv-dmKAhZXxe1CRoT7Sz1E11EjOQqL_z6-mE/s640/12.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And here's the basement stairs with the carpet removed. All of the stairs in this house had problems, and they all need a lot of work, but my hope is that some improvements can be made and that one day I will have Carrie Underwood legs as a result of buying a house with 4 sets of stairs.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbn1guOs9yM-jck4LwXB1Btjn8TwC1G5-YbsHQ8CFSzEs4UhMgf6lfcadhnvz-1UWm_SiMyM03QP0244_dETQEWiHjIirh8ALO5QA0-xEpaLUuAabuYBbL3GSqd0ovNhco2Hg1UWU-dziH/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbn1guOs9yM-jck4LwXB1Btjn8TwC1G5-YbsHQ8CFSzEs4UhMgf6lfcadhnvz-1UWm_SiMyM03QP0244_dETQEWiHjIirh8ALO5QA0-xEpaLUuAabuYBbL3GSqd0ovNhco2Hg1UWU-dziH/s640/13.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, those are the updates so far. I'll be back next week to show you the progress. In the meantime, we'll be livin' it up at my mom's house. She's been so sweet to let us invade her house, and trust me we have totally invaded. Here's a pic of Ava sorting through my mom's mail, and doing a mighty fine job. (Also, can we talk about those finger puppets we found at my mom's?! That's a snail, a pig, and a flamingo. The best part is that my mom did not buy these for Ava. She just had them.)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzSyiDWAnYq_fi5PdkafAitXX4C9ezwsLp85JOli3OYdTpMZ-s1pBhzubK-0XUrQhveZjrFSoS8iNyyhb1Yg_TmJ06r9yl-RTmqOjAA3M3qb-4VH3eJXi5a-vrzwpZ97Tm1f_Uzj6Cbh4/s1600/IMG_5230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzSyiDWAnYq_fi5PdkafAitXX4C9ezwsLp85JOli3OYdTpMZ-s1pBhzubK-0XUrQhveZjrFSoS8iNyyhb1Yg_TmJ06r9yl-RTmqOjAA3M3qb-4VH3eJXi5a-vrzwpZ97Tm1f_Uzj6Cbh4/s640/IMG_5230.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However, my mom did dig out my 33 year old cabbage patch dolls, and Ava is totally obsessed. It's the little things in life.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZwf0-krpdJnZ9vMqUYYvkp1A1apbt4aYWBylX9OaxGPd_y7qrh_D7-rpOc8OqFPC5FKfBjADbpo7mE8crlANIvBPDfAlQcQa1IkHhlql6VoRtB3YqFCawLB1mkcnePkgrjcb2aAnngRj/s1600/cabbage+patch+dolls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZwf0-krpdJnZ9vMqUYYvkp1A1apbt4aYWBylX9OaxGPd_y7qrh_D7-rpOc8OqFPC5FKfBjADbpo7mE8crlANIvBPDfAlQcQa1IkHhlql6VoRtB3YqFCawLB1mkcnePkgrjcb2aAnngRj/s640/cabbage+patch+dolls.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh, and we took Ava to a park near our new house that has a splash pad. Never has she ever been so excited. This was the first picture I took of her, when she was just standing there like 'WHAT IS HAPPENING.'. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4It1b1utmTpWhH_Nmedk7ttJqUSUpEjMClgJjmSMXrVA-TqriDqrWw6r9gsAX3uSgZ7UD1pZYYG7afefO9HGNDlBoVShSmk69jNz9g7i6Mb44g2hcmchGdhEoYm8ZJxU2j1o4QwTUXkUj/s1600/14055064_10104114284502765_4819663090283991970_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4It1b1utmTpWhH_Nmedk7ttJqUSUpEjMClgJjmSMXrVA-TqriDqrWw6r9gsAX3uSgZ7UD1pZYYG7afefO9HGNDlBoVShSmk69jNz9g7i6Mb44g2hcmchGdhEoYm8ZJxU2j1o4QwTUXkUj/s640/14055064_10104114284502765_4819663090283991970_n.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And here we are the other day when we visited the house, exploring the driveway, which basically just means she gets to run around like a little maniac, obviously her favorite activity.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMu8-oHgx23Tjo9TJyVYDnUl4zh64LzQhuF5EpAJeaZNOQ7gJ54Vq5uu_O5I59mvsK4Xktq3UYi5p3G0c66QImxXR02Km07zqagDyYuIzeOA_359ZCLggjbFMtaM7A5CBtA0UfXzJHGI5S/s1600/14068127_10104115935534085_4142005141938661122_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMu8-oHgx23Tjo9TJyVYDnUl4zh64LzQhuF5EpAJeaZNOQ7gJ54Vq5uu_O5I59mvsK4Xktq3UYi5p3G0c66QImxXR02Km07zqagDyYuIzeOA_359ZCLggjbFMtaM7A5CBtA0UfXzJHGI5S/s640/14068127_10104115935534085_4142005141938661122_n.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We love her so.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBzIjGExP8ryJ8i5rZAv1pR08RI_arKyvOka3LxvC_GHijoaeyuftORKiIWdK0y18HQ3Rzm97InRK1Y97jtg4sYaBPRz3RLiXGlDeUYmaWL3TlljAdSt-u0GJNVjY6dhK2esfBmLAuKM1/s1600/14068283_10104115935578995_3475144800496123900_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBzIjGExP8ryJ8i5rZAv1pR08RI_arKyvOka3LxvC_GHijoaeyuftORKiIWdK0y18HQ3Rzm97InRK1Y97jtg4sYaBPRz3RLiXGlDeUYmaWL3TlljAdSt-u0GJNVjY6dhK2esfBmLAuKM1/s640/14068283_10104115935578995_3475144800496123900_n.jpg" width="512" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's all for today, friends. Thanks for being here. Hope you have a good weekend.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqdow-vupOVZx01JvPEpMJsRfw1avy4wdp1dis3uGY5NCudJM-EHPHmVf_U5Thf7ZWTlscGITmW5HceeDDbYikPuGBfbOyQHmZ7moeznWqUUN35-kl50Cds6ZrBPOFjUhgMD8zg4I45Rw5/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqdow-vupOVZx01JvPEpMJsRfw1avy4wdp1dis3uGY5NCudJM-EHPHmVf_U5Thf7ZWTlscGITmW5HceeDDbYikPuGBfbOyQHmZ7moeznWqUUN35-kl50Cds6ZrBPOFjUhgMD8zg4I45Rw5/s1600/signature.png" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6YT7eBMvXCuWpZsutXwVYyQCV6TeiIg4CS-P_Zeh9Os56leNAMo8zHvP7Ut4LisF_7fhUpg_0Y7my2qaCcnwVBt5T_B8RImUp5q_OU21HCMtI5wPdni5nZY7OP0QvJ07BSRj6_G3PRDl/s1600/remodeling+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="home remodeling ideas" border="0" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6YT7eBMvXCuWpZsutXwVYyQCV6TeiIg4CS-P_Zeh9Os56leNAMo8zHvP7Ut4LisF_7fhUpg_0Y7my2qaCcnwVBt5T_B8RImUp5q_OU21HCMtI5wPdni5nZY7OP0QvJ07BSRj6_G3PRDl/s640/remodeling+ideas.jpg" title="The Renovation Has Officially Begun: Part One!" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-39861798518590067152016-08-10T21:30:00.005-04:002016-08-10T21:45:49.916-04:00Progress Report: Painting away the Tuscan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvB20GZhak-NC_Niw_R4sqOUVad00abINnWodhZxiOdjYDvfCkKR3Cf34Un-H_fThmyj9y7BcryjfUsNR9zOrtxI4huM1qVfu6vMZ6UzUZ-Q4btxeGSEo_an7mGE2uo_hUDiufxlWmNww/s1600/IMG_4574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvB20GZhak-NC_Niw_R4sqOUVad00abINnWodhZxiOdjYDvfCkKR3Cf34Un-H_fThmyj9y7BcryjfUsNR9zOrtxI4huM1qVfu6vMZ6UzUZ-Q4btxeGSEo_an7mGE2uo_hUDiufxlWmNww/s400/IMG_4574.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP8h2_5QdLfn9qtw5YjepB7yxd3YZNq3v2yKcxiXqrzSg8Q5Wdapiqg_tUgVXeNmv-9we7pKH4TBt_wToXYaWJiQBi8RfzIGFRoJqlLj7-733orHkqTGSaWD-3KmuPo1WppHkzkI_faMZ2/s1600/white+walls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hey y'all! First and foremost, thank you so much for being so kind about the new <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2016/07/new-house-tour.html">house tour</a> in my last post. I know it's a total mess and really dated, but it was such a relief to know that you guys 'got it', (and if you didn't read the house tour, you're prob not going to understand why I love this house based off this new post, so just be kind and rewind.). So, anyway, these are trying times and you guys are the best.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And now it's time for a progress report!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the past couple weeks since we've closed and moved in, we've been trying to interview and organize a bunch of different contractors, and then schedule everyone in the correct order. Essentially, the better we do this, the less time we have to live without a kitchen, and flooring, and just general inner peace, so you know...I've been making this step a priority.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are kicking things off next week with the drywall work (like removing popcorn ceilings, removing beams, and building the two doors that this house is just randomly missing). And then at the end of the month the kitchen gets demoed, then flooring gets finished mid-september, then the kitchen gets rebuilt. It's oh so exciting, and I'm 100% sure that I'm going to lose my mind at least twice in the process. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'll update you throughout all of it, as it happens.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But, while we've essentially been organizing the renovation over the past two weeks, I've also been doing a lot of work on my own each night after Ava goes to bed. While we are hiring out a lot of the big projects on this house, there are still tons of things that Jesse and I are going to be tackling on our own, because it frees up money for other projects that I do not want to do (like pulling up dog pee carpet in the basement)...you understand.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, anyway, let's get started. A before pic of the living room/dining room:</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vGIzJNvYb4t5Zsr6Vbrvb9C0e8WtRlrCNTBfbPg0yHWmyiVXV-gpv1pKRBguLn0dLbDVgJNTCOG2Tl5YTiTbOdrZKYhAT9YJ_0ofTE5GGovcqMbucrHW8NhC7H6f19O4IkjiC6P7vh9t/s1600/before+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vGIzJNvYb4t5Zsr6Vbrvb9C0e8WtRlrCNTBfbPg0yHWmyiVXV-gpv1pKRBguLn0dLbDVgJNTCOG2Tl5YTiTbOdrZKYhAT9YJ_0ofTE5GGovcqMbucrHW8NhC7H6f19O4IkjiC6P7vh9t/s640/before+3.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And after! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First disclaimer: I have to move all this crap back out in a matter of weeks so that they can do the floors, so this is merely a temporary setup of the bare minimum of items, basically so I can comfortably chase my baby around and watch Stranger Things.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Second disclaimer: There's a basketball in my living room. I'm cool with it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyway, I painted the walls Benjamin Moore Simply White and the ceiling crown molding Ultra White. The wainscotting and floor trim are being replaced, so I just left them alone. I have yet to paint the ceiling, so it looks a little darker, because it is. I will hopefully paint that this week...it's a real beast, so I've been procrastinating.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6Gpwf5aMZX2qA14I2HonnwqwqaTusPblfNY_zMT6m8w-rqRB4PrKAu5Rs3wTmlo5QyD6KKcUb-5m56c_0g-5ub2npLWfkJoDJrmB0AfwLiePRjftEMns7UClu9ECqmdKpkr-ccmagSC7/s1600/in+progress+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6Gpwf5aMZX2qA14I2HonnwqwqaTusPblfNY_zMT6m8w-rqRB4PrKAu5Rs3wTmlo5QyD6KKcUb-5m56c_0g-5ub2npLWfkJoDJrmB0AfwLiePRjftEMns7UClu9ECqmdKpkr-ccmagSC7/s640/in+progress+3.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The walls all had that sweet Tuscan texture to them, which I'm pretty sure was just sponged on, so I just sanded one little area at a time, before I painted, and quietly cried to myself about how awful life was. Kidding, but like not in that moment.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz32YHMN_F78KrPL5t7MIWIBYIDEJcRwURsEioXc0yc4jxTAglftdgZAdrun5t4Jwx3BQ88nN1CI05-yLkiAVs848hwRV6mlEHtxu0uYKZme1bYyAQSRPP2m0KPgtbFVN58LgVLUMZw5fT/s1600/before+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz32YHMN_F78KrPL5t7MIWIBYIDEJcRwURsEioXc0yc4jxTAglftdgZAdrun5t4Jwx3BQ88nN1CI05-yLkiAVs848hwRV6mlEHtxu0uYKZme1bYyAQSRPP2m0KPgtbFVN58LgVLUMZw5fT/s640/before+4.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I will eventually rework the furniture in here (not sure what, but let's worry about that later), and will wall mount the tv, add some art and some window coverings, and obviously paint the ceiling and redo the floors. So much orange. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7d90lhKTaWMysz0XtlDH8wz3oTuGIQLdEdc_KsjcLn9eI1fLq9BDxJN0MI-5x0OEP4Hx06RBISMXusEg_WWO-kB4aagw-Tm912tGJnVZHen3wtsqhHFeFviHa_5EjjEamb-EdBibP8QKd/s1600/in+progress+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7d90lhKTaWMysz0XtlDH8wz3oTuGIQLdEdc_KsjcLn9eI1fLq9BDxJN0MI-5x0OEP4Hx06RBISMXusEg_WWO-kB4aagw-Tm912tGJnVZHen3wtsqhHFeFviHa_5EjjEamb-EdBibP8QKd/s640/in+progress+2.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's another before shot. So, that weird coat closet by the front door? That's getting demoed in the next couple of weeks. It just drives me crazy and I want it gone. I don't care about storage, it just needs to get out of here.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0ISduR1IaupX3gilnWgyovw3CFN_-2V-jYkvMYkoMWIEcFyostN9urYki_yyp4_APALsbV2il7IlUpFpWwSEhLMt8G0q1i-8MYkq_tGdgpnZ9uDv-SqBdhyrrUaYcWrpSJTN_lDotJl4/s1600/before+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0ISduR1IaupX3gilnWgyovw3CFN_-2V-jYkvMYkoMWIEcFyostN9urYki_yyp4_APALsbV2il7IlUpFpWwSEhLMt8G0q1i-8MYkq_tGdgpnZ9uDv-SqBdhyrrUaYcWrpSJTN_lDotJl4/s640/before+5.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I also painted the stair rails, more on that in a minute.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NvmenWfWNe8SzQdZhfTNB3VNdQ4r0TICzvKpa8IM1VCox7b2y40MJG3RJXXJpY28kEk4CMhXZmzTxFCdF2BqecBphBQfRXeSYctI0l8h8hMjNatbpSTkAztUqAm1u-U511nxkf9LFMo1/s1600/in+progress+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NvmenWfWNe8SzQdZhfTNB3VNdQ4r0TICzvKpa8IM1VCox7b2y40MJG3RJXXJpY28kEk4CMhXZmzTxFCdF2BqecBphBQfRXeSYctI0l8h8hMjNatbpSTkAztUqAm1u-U511nxkf9LFMo1/s640/in+progress+1.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, yeah, imagine the awkward coat closet gone and beefier wainscotting in the dining room (The current stuff is just painted on the wall and doesn't do it for me.).</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB3VBdIuqFSwuBBOQVbGM8vEozA8vL9BtAFKYSnXQKHZLUT46J_vPHIJhrr6oLKcCPayk6k5Wm9F09jKVVW0Cb2NwJJiCY8f4L5rNVhHRxyO93DlHCIpL2mwP90jccTa3ZX7OE83psmp6j/s1600/before+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB3VBdIuqFSwuBBOQVbGM8vEozA8vL9BtAFKYSnXQKHZLUT46J_vPHIJhrr6oLKcCPayk6k5Wm9F09jKVVW0Cb2NwJJiCY8f4L5rNVhHRxyO93DlHCIpL2mwP90jccTa3ZX7OE83psmp6j/s640/before+2.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I painted the front door Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze. I still have to switch out the hardware, but it's a start. The door color is a little bit softer in person...my crappy camera makes everything look harsher, except my face...that 2009 sony cybershot flash is where it's at.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kW7rgo9s7dT7IX2u77SGnnRqGI02fN0Yk_iVw7xRzpWJLE0kxJdRs4eZsTO7VbQBzinYRFxxv2q_Hlju4lK29Q0OqLpEnuHiUaTNVwRjeihnsTJB3TTnf5clVN4QokzfXU9xrbX6SvD7/s1600/in+progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kW7rgo9s7dT7IX2u77SGnnRqGI02fN0Yk_iVw7xRzpWJLE0kxJdRs4eZsTO7VbQBzinYRFxxv2q_Hlju4lK29Q0OqLpEnuHiUaTNVwRjeihnsTJB3TTnf5clVN4QokzfXU9xrbX6SvD7/s640/in+progress.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The yellow walls and bronze chandelier in the dining room were driving me crazy.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDprtBzfkyJkzndjLR-s01T1t7G1Z52C7q1-ubKvS9c6euIJOtYd3semB_YpWO9yEkgMf0JkeB_5MW9ZBoSPlv3pTEDJJXhwUsvB6QUTyj98LwEzbs3AjSc1GlvhCn1rCVhL-CbpZbONHW/s1600/before+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDprtBzfkyJkzndjLR-s01T1t7G1Z52C7q1-ubKvS9c6euIJOtYd3semB_YpWO9yEkgMf0JkeB_5MW9ZBoSPlv3pTEDJJXhwUsvB6QUTyj98LwEzbs3AjSc1GlvhCn1rCVhL-CbpZbONHW/s640/before+1.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, I painted all of the walls white and Jesse took the chandelier down.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2g6Vvq_ObFrzrqZarFvQwg57qNB1PQhOgVxNoXzrBHYS02SvnNQFFBlFLeCjZ-qljdRXY2ssVY-2g9ZD4rUZS4OtmqGmQd7kETCUhBgp6kjvCxlHGyiO41fnYuZI7XLTFrhrSNVFREZ99/s1600/chandelier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2g6Vvq_ObFrzrqZarFvQwg57qNB1PQhOgVxNoXzrBHYS02SvnNQFFBlFLeCjZ-qljdRXY2ssVY-2g9ZD4rUZS4OtmqGmQd7kETCUhBgp6kjvCxlHGyiO41fnYuZI7XLTFrhrSNVFREZ99/s640/chandelier.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He hung the one we had in the old house. I don't think it works as well in this house though, so I'm on the hunt for something that I like better in there. But, for now, I'm leaving it hung because it's the only light we have in this entire area (fail), and it's better than the Tuscan candelabra.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbBfTO7iVIpmELg_IQIMhHYsiii5gCGxhpVhF_PYILWU65mJT0A_HTAdu2o-bfL6M3SY6ASlM3uTZtXg0SI1e2i0CNVvofXO7z4MfRe4MyItVNVHI6UcqW4c30J3Kv3fIRTJMtnsaWJ_J/s1600/in+progress+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbBfTO7iVIpmELg_IQIMhHYsiii5gCGxhpVhF_PYILWU65mJT0A_HTAdu2o-bfL6M3SY6ASlM3uTZtXg0SI1e2i0CNVvofXO7z4MfRe4MyItVNVHI6UcqW4c30J3Kv3fIRTJMtnsaWJ_J/s640/in+progress+5.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, these stair rails. Most tedious project. Remember how I tried to spray the ones in the last house and it was the <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/06/our-1970s-house-makeover-part-7-painted.html">project</a> that nearly killed me? </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8Q2cc3x2MQ2udHanQuvkc7ivlvEzLAhCwyNN-YOaA1VjGUDP1FbM9ZRlXiX7u9_AGGXv6HYpOUu5bUiXm7h5irj6ujVNNpdQnPDdZfVd8BAMGQLVmkAv_HHfpcyF3nvseDOKSSZblqFp/s1600/before+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8Q2cc3x2MQ2udHanQuvkc7ivlvEzLAhCwyNN-YOaA1VjGUDP1FbM9ZRlXiX7u9_AGGXv6HYpOUu5bUiXm7h5irj6ujVNNpdQnPDdZfVd8BAMGQLVmkAv_HHfpcyF3nvseDOKSSZblqFp/s640/before+6.jpg" width="570" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, round two. It took me 3 nights to finish this. Just so so tedious trying not to get any paint on the iron balusters. I think I stomped my foot at one point in frustration. Like by myself, having some wine, listening to a podcast, and stomping my foot. That should sum it up for you.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijsYGhaAirKmoe24ezQ3-ovmLLLmGf-O24PBg964_Gbz_f25zfp8PQQFRMhSCFDuM0uR-9nSJCEXJP0rLQFY3kN3jAK-YiFy3VSkMY-4-q9iQks1L7k-cKRSc7wAodaH2gYLHnk5Soa0rd/s1600/IMG_4250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijsYGhaAirKmoe24ezQ3-ovmLLLmGf-O24PBg964_Gbz_f25zfp8PQQFRMhSCFDuM0uR-9nSJCEXJP0rLQFY3kN3jAK-YiFy3VSkMY-4-q9iQks1L7k-cKRSc7wAodaH2gYLHnk5Soa0rd/s640/IMG_4250.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But, good news, it looks so much better now. Everything looks kinda off because there's orange floors, and an orange kitchen, and carpeted stairs, but if you squint really hard and imagine good things happening everywhere, you can kinda see what I'm going for.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLO5Q45l15BvnRH_KhTe_sgcusqT5FO9Z25tO0A73lV2PaCZwM9yeU-Z4pK2VivZMeOw-qA2WQgt8rCr01UIbHK8p6TatCVzjQtT45WRkeRS1v0EcuD1A_zqLZs0rkyHXZgkzVAwrmaynb/s1600/in+progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLO5Q45l15BvnRH_KhTe_sgcusqT5FO9Z25tO0A73lV2PaCZwM9yeU-Z4pK2VivZMeOw-qA2WQgt8rCr01UIbHK8p6TatCVzjQtT45WRkeRS1v0EcuD1A_zqLZs0rkyHXZgkzVAwrmaynb/s640/in+progress.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And like maybe just pretend there aren't baby gates all over my house. You guys, it's a phase, and it must be embraced. </span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4fPhSaTvwdL3_LUlYXKOV-e48Ydoe_cdh-Gp4L1mrgfxeXdVKV-1kp07WPZq5GA7QGFp_B_ec_f8L_qn51dG0I4NRwasBiDgrpMY2VxPklSlMMv_sJUV4BrjXeEF-cpNDKnqn4TBSetfy/s1600/in+progress+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4fPhSaTvwdL3_LUlYXKOV-e48Ydoe_cdh-Gp4L1mrgfxeXdVKV-1kp07WPZq5GA7QGFp_B_ec_f8L_qn51dG0I4NRwasBiDgrpMY2VxPklSlMMv_sJUV4BrjXeEF-cpNDKnqn4TBSetfy/s640/in+progress+6.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As for the flooring situation, I had a lot of comments on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/livelovediy">Instagram</a> about this subject. We put a lot of thought into what we wanted to do. We considered just refinishing the original flooring, but it currently only goes through the living and dining room, so we would just be running these 2 inch planks throughout the rest of the house to match, and then getting everything finished on site. And frankly, I don't love the two inch planks, and also I've lived through an on-site hardwood finish and it was a real pain. But, we wanted to be thorough, and I figured if it was going to save us tons of money, perhaps I would consider it. So, we got a quote for refinishing the existing hardwoods plus running them throughout, and it was not really all that much cheaper than just gutting what was there and installing prefinished wide plank flooring throughout. I mean, budget-wise, it probably means I'm going to have to DIY one of our bathrooms at some point, but I'll probably end up DIYing all three if we're being honest, so I just figured, I should go with my gut and get what we want.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, that being said, Ava has been helping me stare at floor samples all week.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3QMUtQR9FA9z8M1ae6OW73dHmlaVRjB7BEL0EkWEvXVNSgX7i6_Pkd5jQre2ZzNmVlMstIDt1G8UjeJaopk5VeKpT5jTEga5zM7tjPk9nNUPBIPaFEBJ7clmTefHw729HNt_Dc7rB5UQb/s1600/IMG_4402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3QMUtQR9FA9z8M1ae6OW73dHmlaVRjB7BEL0EkWEvXVNSgX7i6_Pkd5jQre2ZzNmVlMstIDt1G8UjeJaopk5VeKpT5jTEga5zM7tjPk9nNUPBIPaFEBJ7clmTefHw729HNt_Dc7rB5UQb/s640/IMG_4402.JPG" width="570" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
My current fave is the one on the far right, but I honestly think any of them would be beautiful.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Lf9MvdpaLV4DgylAd3UofhlRhLcw02rBJRZkLtvLkMeNNpUhFzJPmC7jWuA1_gMhSnMxlJMJzbzzHlneZeUwEzTF-WOR0xHhj5yMz7JQrjWnPGxsAi4yQtuEgfR3bcAZlBvCkled5uK5/s1600/IMG_4403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Lf9MvdpaLV4DgylAd3UofhlRhLcw02rBJRZkLtvLkMeNNpUhFzJPmC7jWuA1_gMhSnMxlJMJzbzzHlneZeUwEzTF-WOR0xHhj5yMz7JQrjWnPGxsAi4yQtuEgfR3bcAZlBvCkled5uK5/s640/IMG_4403.JPG" width="570" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
In other news, Ava went to her first thrift store this week. She found a hat. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8eBBC5eHP1BmitA-jIlbHjiM2NeCgROGInB7s0JYNlVOD5NXyEyj2j3IKl4-ibKSmTGtDyZdeRTVav_PorNiF2bK5Psy0oJe_swWIvQNrx0_8kBQ4Fp-ljczVavNMRzlCvx7NuPFAaVdx/s1600/IMG_4466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8eBBC5eHP1BmitA-jIlbHjiM2NeCgROGInB7s0JYNlVOD5NXyEyj2j3IKl4-ibKSmTGtDyZdeRTVav_PorNiF2bK5Psy0oJe_swWIvQNrx0_8kBQ4Fp-ljczVavNMRzlCvx7NuPFAaVdx/s640/IMG_4466.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And I found rose gold spray paint at JoAnn's fabric store. Some of you asked me on IG where it was from, so now ya know. I have no idea what I'm going to use it on, but I couldn't pass it up, so I'll figure out the details later.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaT_BdfQMFrgn3sl1Gjo15Y33sJmUdJgqcBNe7HQgi-R_CUKd5rzla0l_7RL2bFU0vUp7inkE-tZ0cAECS9gAlIRGefB1SS3gUT6P6odd86HH2q9pXpboxXEVZN_3kgCorNF4_Rg58VwPK/s1600/IMG_4544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaT_BdfQMFrgn3sl1Gjo15Y33sJmUdJgqcBNe7HQgi-R_CUKd5rzla0l_7RL2bFU0vUp7inkE-tZ0cAECS9gAlIRGefB1SS3gUT6P6odd86HH2q9pXpboxXEVZN_3kgCorNF4_Rg58VwPK/s640/IMG_4544.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, that's all for today, y'all. Thanks for being here and thanks for being excited about the crap I painted in my living room. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I mean it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">P.S. You can check out my trim painting tutorial <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2012/04/how-to-paint-trim.html">here</a> and my wall painting tutorial <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/05/how-to-paint-room.html">here</a>. They're easy and they help. Promise.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2T4ForA3E3xMLjQDhAPqbTGjMM4ZCjyKN42ebytbgWNJ4Ky_HsDzZjKQMtQmFtaMBY3ruSCs13lrGPKYTZduTPJ0x1Jpu_cFIV9VENCLhJUFX4_tt6EH9EFq8Z27iAbvuGvSYxBEYHrKK/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2T4ForA3E3xMLjQDhAPqbTGjMM4ZCjyKN42ebytbgWNJ4Ky_HsDzZjKQMtQmFtaMBY3ruSCs13lrGPKYTZduTPJ0x1Jpu_cFIV9VENCLhJUFX4_tt6EH9EFq8Z27iAbvuGvSYxBEYHrKK/s1600/signature.png" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<center>
</center>
<center>
</center>
<center>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
Follow my blog with<br /><a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3384224/?claim=jkea24f9wt7"><img align="middle" alt="bloglovin' photo BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii634/livelovediy/BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" width="30%" /></a></span></center>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<center>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.image-maps.com/m/private/7229/5712-LiveLoveDIYSOCIAL_zps2f8f6f4a.jpg" height="45" id="Image-Maps-Com-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" usemap="#image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" width="300" /><map id="ImageMapsCom-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" name="image-maps-2014-02-16-213014"><area alt="pinterest" coords="43,0,84,43" href="http://www.pinterest.com/livelovediy/" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Pinterest"></area><area alt="facebook" coords="88,1,127,42" href="https://www.facebook.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Facebook"></area><area alt="instagram" coords="132,1,173,42" href="http://instagram.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Instagram"></area><area alt="twitter" coords="177,0,219,41" href="https://twitter.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Twitter"></area><area alt="Image Map" coords="298,43,300,45" href="http://www.image-maps.com/index.php?aff=mapped_users_7229" shape="rect" title="Image Map"></area></map></span><form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=livelovediy/PtTE', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 0px solid #ccc; padding: 0px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email!</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Enter your email address:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></span></form>
</center>
LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-38176862399331585072016-07-27T18:49:00.003-04:002016-07-27T19:55:12.303-04:00New House Tour!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFP8-mEcRFFKHgFO970k7Zn18qPYsRziBc5Wa5929qhBYk6toapSmAZRrU8b2yQGKeczst8RRNKz7JiDJIpTYAPXND5kTT5eNkinag4B3gqSWbvnCihHBa8rnWfyhVk0AyznbZGQwHJ1g/s1600/IMG_2744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFP8-mEcRFFKHgFO970k7Zn18qPYsRziBc5Wa5929qhBYk6toapSmAZRrU8b2yQGKeczst8RRNKz7JiDJIpTYAPXND5kTT5eNkinag4B3gqSWbvnCihHBa8rnWfyhVk0AyznbZGQwHJ1g/s400/IMG_2744.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aPvbtgB6Oeepncvh_UzMx7j9cl9NUQHQ75MuAQIO7QJ7srXwRPtyK4GHuw2jzGLQLfVoDjEb7TBAuKd5KqqwGgr6_fumS8hLjvTb6m83OznvqUFvahO_0t5kk-9xkr3rVvud_wFpPlwU/s1600/2484946-1504241532506075-p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hey y'all. It's finally new house tour time!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank you for being so patient with me. I've wanted to share these pics with you for nearly a month now. But, I've been busy...and also busy...and also scared.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm used to sharing ugly before pics followed by a nice after picture, and it's really hard for me to be vulnerable and just be like, 'Hey look at my house! It's still ugly, y'all!'.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But, I've been thinking a lot about it, and I realize that I miss out on so much when I don't share the entire journey with you guys, so let's just do it. I'll be uncomfortable. I can do it. There are worse things.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, we've been living in our house for just over 5 days now. I've already met with 3 contractors, a kitchen designer, and I've painted the dining room. I am pretty much foaming at the mouth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just to give you an idea of how crazy things are around here, here is what the last week has been like.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We moved all of our stuff out of the old house. And then I had a mild meltdown for about 24 hours where I questioned all my decisions and decided I was an awful idiot and cried myself to sleep. It's hard to explain, but I spent 6 years in that house, painstakingly remodeling it, and even though it was time to move on, and even though we were moving to our dream part of town and to a 5 acre wooded property, I was also moving into a house that needed everything redone, and the feelings were overwhelming. Mostly because I have a one year old baby who needs my constant attention and I renovated this first house when I had 24 hours a day to dedicate to myself, basically.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I mean, I have perspective. These are not even problems. At all, which is why I was back to normal after that first day. But, I am a human, and moving is hard, and I'm just being honest...I had a hard time with it. Also, let it be known, moving with a baby is just impossible. I mean, I did it. But, I think I must have blacked out because I can't even tell you how we pulled it off.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNHw30Y3bZfjAgGpsPMpooWeSei8B4SGjMD0Lb6rFbqiNMpVLV_MKDK5904wyA5Z9muTQSwaPQd7aoENob-hng4qtYFdaUyyWkkYdeA3zbvycDRfBJopldBceRROc4xuHy1mh-4Gbc4k7/s640/IMG_3618.JPG" width="570" /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, anyway, that day the movers hauled all of our stuff to the new house and we put it all in the garage. Because we are going to be doing the flooring throughout the entire house in less than a month and there is no reason to move all of that in just to move it back out. So, we moved in a couple couches, Ava's crib, and our bed, and the rest is in here.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's a weird feeling because I've lived without all of this stuff for a week and I don't even miss most of it. But, also there are a few things I am living without that are driving me crazy. Like chairs, a refrigerator, and also living out of my suitcase, clothes-wise, is kinda a pain. It's like a really weird vacation in someone else's house. In fact, that's exactly what it feels like.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUhJpVOXa5_aSpMhTBeyDqv3SdkBLBv3lw_VoHwUulrM_dC7CEK0szCZ9OJfxBciB9q3V_Xw6WZrM2Jv8SKmPtR-8WCHFe2CHIlQBCzvnjxXr6DV6y1V_BtsC7UIwp7leSze9UubcTA9N/s1600/IMG_3844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUhJpVOXa5_aSpMhTBeyDqv3SdkBLBv3lw_VoHwUulrM_dC7CEK0szCZ9OJfxBciB9q3V_Xw6WZrM2Jv8SKmPtR-8WCHFe2CHIlQBCzvnjxXr6DV6y1V_BtsC7UIwp7leSze9UubcTA9N/s640/IMG_3844.JPG" width="570" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, we've basically just been hanging out in our new 1970's fixer upper, enjoying the finer things in life. The sellers took the fridge (surprise!), but we had planned to replace it anyway, and since this kitchen is getting gutted and replaced in about a month, we are roughing it with a mini fridge until then. Jesse somehow found the bass magnet, so it feels like home.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kinda.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cgqpIe98rC5IwTAc_sOMwiSHOUeN371mEWMmjeLjrSlZn-Hd5qburQuqR5tc3OD1IcVN3eL3dq30GFzyVw-JfcA_Ze7aEdSRRR5Lk9dIltxDWXdqzQZtdrsAI6irBG1ngcGMoER3jjKk/s1600/IMG_3831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cgqpIe98rC5IwTAc_sOMwiSHOUeN371mEWMmjeLjrSlZn-Hd5qburQuqR5tc3OD1IcVN3eL3dq30GFzyVw-JfcA_Ze7aEdSRRR5Lk9dIltxDWXdqzQZtdrsAI6irBG1ngcGMoER3jjKk/s640/IMG_3831.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other than that, we have couches and a tv setup in the living room (temporarily) so that we can at least relax until everything gets started. I wasn't sure if this house would feel like home or not yet (since it feels so outdated), but it almost immediately did.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4m3K2wuSJBVSoIVAVPAeA_zoATmidAVU5QE6wSfDNXaQVhQ4zh7dJ2NpLU0B9RbEC1SCa5bMiCJoJT__42mNlTTmDio1X24rkxNfpY9UjYAOQnfghfZSbCq3pxrbhUUuuDFXToRv9G26/s1600/IMG_3805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4m3K2wuSJBVSoIVAVPAeA_zoATmidAVU5QE6wSfDNXaQVhQ4zh7dJ2NpLU0B9RbEC1SCa5bMiCJoJT__42mNlTTmDio1X24rkxNfpY9UjYAOQnfghfZSbCq3pxrbhUUuuDFXToRv9G26/s640/IMG_3805.JPG" width="512" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think a big part of it is view. The house is nestled in the woods on about 5 acres, and our street dead ends at the lake. It's totally private, and you can't even see the house from the road. Deer wander around our yard, and it's just the craziest thing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzm9vTxcFo-lp0weZTFI8dsXEuLLS1rR6Kgm6IEysU_S17mpa1MfcFDVJCaxfBTU0lN61c9ICsoubU4Y8AOLlcc3Kx6BFX9yQhF80Sa7czBOKd49tm7eG9g1dj95BYh1xA-nmHnBrp3eX/s1600/IMG_3571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzm9vTxcFo-lp0weZTFI8dsXEuLLS1rR6Kgm6IEysU_S17mpa1MfcFDVJCaxfBTU0lN61c9ICsoubU4Y8AOLlcc3Kx6BFX9yQhF80Sa7czBOKd49tm7eG9g1dj95BYh1xA-nmHnBrp3eX/s640/IMG_3571.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The house is terribly outdated. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It sat on the market for 2-3 years before we found it. But, the house is in one of the best parts of town, and on a huge private property, and we know that we can make this house a beautiful place for us to enjoy for years to come. And then, one day, if we ever want to do it all over again, we think this house has the potential to pay off just like our last house did. </span><br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just to show you what really sold me on this house, despite the interior....this is what you see when you are on the back deck. Our property line goes about 3 acres back behind our fence, although it's unlikely we will ever do anything with it. Our last house was in a really busy neighborhood, crammed in with other houses, and it quickly became my dream to find somewhere Ava could run around one day.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qnFvtlw0DBe788xzRddxhc0atJ-EG8kwxJr4Wb6MoswUZTw2vBKHsCpxzb-F6MgEkNVxgLKgrOsUMlm-DI7J9XdzSJTuXPU5mTBHFVqh-rxtGvjiyNyEyrtLlpc5EfcyrTVnDLudvPfU/s1600/2484946-1504241532479308-p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qnFvtlw0DBe788xzRddxhc0atJ-EG8kwxJr4Wb6MoswUZTw2vBKHsCpxzb-F6MgEkNVxgLKgrOsUMlm-DI7J9XdzSJTuXPU5mTBHFVqh-rxtGvjiyNyEyrtLlpc5EfcyrTVnDLudvPfU/s640/2484946-1504241532479308-p.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the front yard. That little wooden trail (that needs major repairs) leads up to the front door. I'm really looking forward to landscaping all of this one day, like two years from now. :)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfuyAAP053IwjibjqkxoJyLkKssw2KqARnzpgbcQvXMqyRouLtiBpHkWSGoWm1imO5WcF7p5dtpnpqYcERBAl7fGc0ZkJzS_H_PTpOkk5VcmDWUm1jRtzgILZA4quqbyF8rveCkJvnipC/s1600/2484946-1504241532506075-p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfuyAAP053IwjibjqkxoJyLkKssw2KqARnzpgbcQvXMqyRouLtiBpHkWSGoWm1imO5WcF7p5dtpnpqYcERBAl7fGc0ZkJzS_H_PTpOkk5VcmDWUm1jRtzgILZA4quqbyF8rveCkJvnipC/s640/2484946-1504241532506075-p.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Standing on the top deck, just off the living room...</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMBgAXHH0-ldnvIMWhRyeJq1SFd6uEm8khuuDNOFWGdc3FEK_fjs3bDIK4MIeFPEQQO9dfZ5q5hJEz_mZpO6ZTVYi0JnzXcSRthNs1quVS8LGUOa27uWpVY3g3Jc5LIHFyNLTM4QufCztn/s1600/2484946-1504241533067303-p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMBgAXHH0-ldnvIMWhRyeJq1SFd6uEm8khuuDNOFWGdc3FEK_fjs3bDIK4MIeFPEQQO9dfZ5q5hJEz_mZpO6ZTVYi0JnzXcSRthNs1quVS8LGUOa27uWpVY3g3Jc5LIHFyNLTM4QufCztn/s640/2484946-1504241533067303-p.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then our driveway. You can't even see the house from the road. It goes way back there. It truly feels like heaven. Besides that fact that the house smells like someone else's dogs.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">You win some, you lose some.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLqZAKyZWwsH38AP2LviAYZWtbrr1XZVlDPvBM_5ixMuTwRnUaqqwDSLSWLnNcE1MBeCcXRyt7eamX8tuqwdPPmLkxBmwZo_nr57ECij79fjbmKM043xinrdtIiSa3oJ7RyJ_C_BDrF61o/s1600/IMG_3424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLqZAKyZWwsH38AP2LviAYZWtbrr1XZVlDPvBM_5ixMuTwRnUaqqwDSLSWLnNcE1MBeCcXRyt7eamX8tuqwdPPmLkxBmwZo_nr57ECij79fjbmKM043xinrdtIiSa3oJ7RyJ_C_BDrF61o/s640/IMG_3424.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's a picture of Ava in the driveway back from when we were getting the house inspected, about a month ago. She was obviously really into it.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZmp4RuSwrPS74RlcE22QFk9ptCi4e5ciadi_IxCqEtju0ydGY9FnyHrPauS1K8djLZkzJdc24lp_bWXz96a3mKAqqwblp9odRV_h42zBMfiI_tF2JsiskklyZTwaXb169-o8TnRRs-j4/s1600/13434901_10103924647901035_5539450875940296346_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZmp4RuSwrPS74RlcE22QFk9ptCi4e5ciadi_IxCqEtju0ydGY9FnyHrPauS1K8djLZkzJdc24lp_bWXz96a3mKAqqwblp9odRV_h42zBMfiI_tF2JsiskklyZTwaXb169-o8TnRRs-j4/s640/13434901_10103924647901035_5539450875940296346_n.jpg" width="512" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, I've rambled long enough. Like I'm making my case or something. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let's take the house tour. I'm just going to trust that you guys believe in me and are also the sort of ladies (and gents?) who can look beyond what's there. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, let's start in the kitchen. This was the pic in the real estate listing. It's not bad at all. It's just so not me.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4Su0sASNaxokLAnM-ID9BZBd07f-PLzfGrM3RHcUPfB0FXRjA7NPw4Pz7WOXMfR7kBfPUaL6wEXu14nqRb35rsaqdWNJdT_RDWS-r4qAoj-tJEjncvjHOizIMAzDbhSm5kGsPo3ude6K/s1600/2484946-1504241532599303-p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4Su0sASNaxokLAnM-ID9BZBd07f-PLzfGrM3RHcUPfB0FXRjA7NPw4Pz7WOXMfR7kBfPUaL6wEXu14nqRb35rsaqdWNJdT_RDWS-r4qAoj-tJEjncvjHOizIMAzDbhSm5kGsPo3ude6K/s640/2484946-1504241532599303-p.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is a pic from my camera, and it's much more honest. This house is a sea of orange upon brown upon tan. I am gutting the entire kitchen (selling it on Craigslist) and starting over. Except for the appliances....those stay. Don't get mad at me if you like granite or those cabinets. I just have a totally different vision for this kitchen, and it's a really small space, and I am determined to maximize my little kitchen situation.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also, this will be my first full kitchen renovation, and I couldn't be more excited. It should be underway in about a month once the cabinetry is ready. And I promise to talk more about it soon.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP52F4LSL-YmrVf7RA23wkcBjUqGYslObF-tGcNkLFn2TfQQKEb8gtVAXvsMGDyX_QSyTRHohms4c_uQyFKroryiRgonk8ofpTG8i4HrhsCtnfcdKoiea8OFgU6U_wvNRTqmXrGvdnK3dg/s1600/DSC01606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP52F4LSL-YmrVf7RA23wkcBjUqGYslObF-tGcNkLFn2TfQQKEb8gtVAXvsMGDyX_QSyTRHohms4c_uQyFKroryiRgonk8ofpTG8i4HrhsCtnfcdKoiea8OFgU6U_wvNRTqmXrGvdnK3dg/s640/DSC01606.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's the view of the kitchen from the opposite direction.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhirnYCMTfWglyLvZ03S5Xwig4V2D8orPxczV9xfSWPHws0ZxoLZkcAVWMbNBnIMj4eGUyM-Rbo7sFw-SLFScKt738BzpI4YL75IJjDD3TsrNaN6y7I2mLnOXrMmwZSG0yvgPYDJ-GHOYXV/s1600/DSC01609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhirnYCMTfWglyLvZ03S5Xwig4V2D8orPxczV9xfSWPHws0ZxoLZkcAVWMbNBnIMj4eGUyM-Rbo7sFw-SLFScKt738BzpI4YL75IJjDD3TsrNaN6y7I2mLnOXrMmwZSG0yvgPYDJ-GHOYXV/s640/DSC01609.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, this is weird. Ava's room is actually to the left of the kitchen. You go up a little set of stairs and she has her own little massive bed and bathroom up there. There isn't a door to her room. It's a giant pain and kinda drives me crazy. One of the first things we are doing is having someone come frame in and build a doorway. Because uh-uh.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVNPGqJQGfN5D8M9p5XNeVvWm4p1jXAa2VXUodu5qYpPvP8CpuuTClCRNIsCqu4VWPOuI5eAwLq0oZnE0ltQ3JHDOdvH_K7f2Lng5f363FaytPeeVGUhMzenPnZjCDhc5IRnbt9VmF2Eo/s1600/DSC01611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVNPGqJQGfN5D8M9p5XNeVvWm4p1jXAa2VXUodu5qYpPvP8CpuuTClCRNIsCqu4VWPOuI5eAwLq0oZnE0ltQ3JHDOdvH_K7f2Lng5f363FaytPeeVGUhMzenPnZjCDhc5IRnbt9VmF2Eo/s640/DSC01611.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is her little bathroom. Full gut. Again, not bad at all, but I just have a vision for it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2oyYYzSYk7umODKWYnyAd_45QUTR5RSbcisdWEt3nD3WmYiI7wlgsCEDdYzHAzqDvtt8Se3sNyKNSgz2BoUurh8wnXHiw7VCgypKVjOHu8wRF6CI8dEQB8D7roYHDfXF67XQ54cwpvL1L/s1600/DSC01612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2oyYYzSYk7umODKWYnyAd_45QUTR5RSbcisdWEt3nD3WmYiI7wlgsCEDdYzHAzqDvtt8Se3sNyKNSgz2BoUurh8wnXHiw7VCgypKVjOHu8wRF6CI8dEQB8D7roYHDfXF67XQ54cwpvL1L/s640/DSC01612.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It has some weird laminate tile. More beige.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7k3gHjsYwvATmO7hZ1gwneSSSRyRbc_kGuz1ASUpqfaQqEP4JDHgiAtjv8JKAsTT2co-kAnB-mlrdIouG_Ky-5tQyhyuZuvZcPiPU-VX3zEI1UpaWhvtOEH-wAHgWnrGVfl0SkHRuvqi8/s1600/DSC01614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7k3gHjsYwvATmO7hZ1gwneSSSRyRbc_kGuz1ASUpqfaQqEP4JDHgiAtjv8JKAsTT2co-kAnB-mlrdIouG_Ky-5tQyhyuZuvZcPiPU-VX3zEI1UpaWhvtOEH-wAHgWnrGVfl0SkHRuvqi8/s640/DSC01614.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is her room. It looks like it used to be two rooms, but they left a giant partition in the middle. We are removing the partition and replacing it with a header since it's load bearing.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGigXX8dT-HPZ-95Il6wB_N8DYzotgCavVJ9D-YV5663WBFT4fMU6L1C7HfpDhyphenhyphenELi4X2WFSdN1yeml2ZY6VnA-ocPOu-SPPkwVuQi7wZmhKlGz_-XJDOdfjjU4iR6s30eKxGrMyFWE2s/s1600/DSC01616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGigXX8dT-HPZ-95Il6wB_N8DYzotgCavVJ9D-YV5663WBFT4fMU6L1C7HfpDhyphenhyphenELi4X2WFSdN1yeml2ZY6VnA-ocPOu-SPPkwVuQi7wZmhKlGz_-XJDOdfjjU4iR6s30eKxGrMyFWE2s/s640/DSC01616.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The view from the other side. That door to the right is her bathroom.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1fZ0ZuIMW17CP9gehIrg10lca7hGzZibWJw0Ms83kfX6oeuNAMAOoBFbo_znyeK96tIH32ICpjGJYbEy93AYog821MjJbidP0finETpvB8_B9kYkUFUwje_b5Xde79d8NCDJT_eXtD-O5/s1600/DSC01618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1fZ0ZuIMW17CP9gehIrg10lca7hGzZibWJw0Ms83kfX6oeuNAMAOoBFbo_znyeK96tIH32ICpjGJYbEy93AYog821MjJbidP0finETpvB8_B9kYkUFUwje_b5Xde79d8NCDJT_eXtD-O5/s640/DSC01618.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One more view.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPEhXBz0UEu9YSqLPHW8jVyFdo6iv9xWkMJQB02uWwTPJxd_R-TNuFX89_WQmf3m9mdJd4dr-yTFyqA7kIYANfoQO13eviQzDQvH-3F2GuhQfaBBP2pCyjqxX5W5e5b8WgpYniMWPmvdd/s1600/DSC01620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPEhXBz0UEu9YSqLPHW8jVyFdo6iv9xWkMJQB02uWwTPJxd_R-TNuFX89_WQmf3m9mdJd4dr-yTFyqA7kIYANfoQO13eviQzDQvH-3F2GuhQfaBBP2pCyjqxX5W5e5b8WgpYniMWPmvdd/s640/DSC01620.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When you come out of Ava's room and turn the corner, there is another set of stairs that leads to a basement level bedroom. The picture below is of me standing in the kitchen doorway. The stairs to the right go to Ava's room, the stairs to the left go to the guest bedroom and also out to the garage.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDEmxitXIR33PPoCVLoPi31z4VCu_1bsPGkKqdaCXutkXcDEd90BQ-g-NEIA7uMBVrK6lTT1_KtmWrEnFisK5fehrtXBfBK78wWOJKk4n9jO_mJBXN6H2c7w6ve9l6tok2qqciXjO3QH0/s1600/DSC01624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDEmxitXIR33PPoCVLoPi31z4VCu_1bsPGkKqdaCXutkXcDEd90BQ-g-NEIA7uMBVrK6lTT1_KtmWrEnFisK5fehrtXBfBK78wWOJKk4n9jO_mJBXN6H2c7w6ve9l6tok2qqciXjO3QH0/s640/DSC01624.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the guest bedroom that's down those stairs.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWiQMpeOnTuMtlSTYtXQkz0F8OlagEp0X0RCfqjfmSSRmvfwiHNeurbMgXZQDwnseUL9Q2dZ_Z6qK0dBpQU8ljOyf9_nYbWOXk5oYRRdYxJcSjcVbwaVMHgrwamXvFJE6yt-Fr5WeGbinG/s1600/DSC01626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWiQMpeOnTuMtlSTYtXQkz0F8OlagEp0X0RCfqjfmSSRmvfwiHNeurbMgXZQDwnseUL9Q2dZ_Z6qK0dBpQU8ljOyf9_nYbWOXk5oYRRdYxJcSjcVbwaVMHgrwamXvFJE6yt-Fr5WeGbinG/s640/DSC01626.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Opposite view. There's literally a little hole cut in the wall and a tiny sliding door. There's nothing in there. And I have no answers for you.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-j5Swnr_mEwThAtbeG4GSAIHKQ2HwkbwUKJTC-_T8JBmNWIzPlw-5Y5bRTIXZGdu2brt_IwleWH3VlhTMWOJEVkGMwx_bgJypNai7MaOyofnH1fIZOHxbkcRPMxYILUz4ajNBt9cqJOeJ/s1600/DSC01627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-j5Swnr_mEwThAtbeG4GSAIHKQ2HwkbwUKJTC-_T8JBmNWIzPlw-5Y5bRTIXZGdu2brt_IwleWH3VlhTMWOJEVkGMwx_bgJypNai7MaOyofnH1fIZOHxbkcRPMxYILUz4ajNBt9cqJOeJ/s640/DSC01627.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh, and the popcorn ceilings do delight. It's like popcorn times 100. Luckily most of the ceilings in the house are already smooth. But there are several areas that we have to have someone come and re-drywall. Because the texture is so thick. But, hey, ten points for making some little floral swirls. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE88CNDgenKA_4N0Cf7mSyKkmM_Kltc1kf3kpr5x05HLri4etmOc12Uzqg5LWv8jPSljusHFvEobrF2cmdm_0ZdcpzzZkyh3xRVn08DM128oAeuIAWhRSteSa50mxOS7NkDOOoXbZt5Olk/s1600/DSC01630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE88CNDgenKA_4N0Cf7mSyKkmM_Kltc1kf3kpr5x05HLri4etmOc12Uzqg5LWv8jPSljusHFvEobrF2cmdm_0ZdcpzzZkyh3xRVn08DM128oAeuIAWhRSteSa50mxOS7NkDOOoXbZt5Olk/s640/DSC01630.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, here are the stairs when you come out of the guest bedroom, leading you back up to the landing right by the kitchen. This house has such a funky layout, and that's just the truth. But, again, peaceful land situation, so I'm rolling with it. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRC27Eqiw-YUM3AVTjibCL_FkSFhRL5DpA2iHdhg1kajh6URaG6czLCtMv2kPiXA0nov31N4GI5LmYwFBu_LmJMetaiizOYp_B7Mgt3vDnZuFsntgLZtpr4ROndgqBJ7oqCaVuGEmcEecX/s1600/DSC01634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRC27Eqiw-YUM3AVTjibCL_FkSFhRL5DpA2iHdhg1kajh6URaG6czLCtMv2kPiXA0nov31N4GI5LmYwFBu_LmJMetaiizOYp_B7Mgt3vDnZuFsntgLZtpr4ROndgqBJ7oqCaVuGEmcEecX/s640/DSC01634.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, if you walk around the kitchen peninsula, there is another little hallway. And there you find the stairway to the basement and also another full bath.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA79vIg5bzmlSYraUn0rHZ5PhtXIrO2zgD7UpPRuW8FOdWSsx3mth3zdE0wEiP7rYmSpkv-ZZAKTBgu6zvgSgM4fqzcNme0SO5n9N2EyYt-D6i_iXoWksOlKsm2r0CPzMdbTvGe_5cmkT9/s1600/DSC01639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA79vIg5bzmlSYraUn0rHZ5PhtXIrO2zgD7UpPRuW8FOdWSsx3mth3zdE0wEiP7rYmSpkv-ZZAKTBgu6zvgSgM4fqzcNme0SO5n9N2EyYt-D6i_iXoWksOlKsm2r0CPzMdbTvGe_5cmkT9/s640/DSC01639.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This bathroom will be a full gut. The tub is in really bad shape (although it looks okay in the pic) and the vanity looks to be from 1970 with 10 layers of paint on it. That being said, it has a nice granite countertop, so I'm passing it along to a friend who can use it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All I really know so far is that I'll be using <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2016/03/diy-bathroom-remodel-on-budget.html">this</a> mirror in here.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbVdwo3SWQ6bG2KMOuGkPq2dT5Z02yPPP4SYkC7BUmvurd1HcIWDY5s0pdTMYv7wY8QjUU63I1En_NkYQjbXBjo4nasQLQ77rKmQrTNiz9KAupyhGHd_b0uJQWurnAgBWOvO7qB6DZdLF/s1600/DSC01636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbVdwo3SWQ6bG2KMOuGkPq2dT5Z02yPPP4SYkC7BUmvurd1HcIWDY5s0pdTMYv7wY8QjUU63I1En_NkYQjbXBjo4nasQLQ77rKmQrTNiz9KAupyhGHd_b0uJQWurnAgBWOvO7qB6DZdLF/s640/DSC01636.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's the opposite view.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHlf_GuapEdlL7r0GVPUSxgyyPWaNFx5X_SbBpH8-ZwDMHIO__uIN_BeF_2Kw9re7ccOfz6PBoZEE5BAQQtsRTAkmtamKGjTZkWNwWOQ9N5CsExZod4MvD8WKpy-l8V2jN1fPzMIOlTLA/s1600/DSC01638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHlf_GuapEdlL7r0GVPUSxgyyPWaNFx5X_SbBpH8-ZwDMHIO__uIN_BeF_2Kw9re7ccOfz6PBoZEE5BAQQtsRTAkmtamKGjTZkWNwWOQ9N5CsExZod4MvD8WKpy-l8V2jN1fPzMIOlTLA/s640/DSC01638.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When you walk out of the hallway, you enter the dining room. This main area feels really spacious and has great views of the outside. We'll be redoing the wainscotting and replacing all the fixtures, painting and redoing the flooring, etc. I haven't decided on my flooring plan yet, and it's basically been consuming me (thanks to <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/05/our-1970s-house-makeover-basement.html">this</a> flooring debacle and <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/05/our-new-white-washed-hardwood-flooring.html">this</a> flooring debacle), but whatever we choose will go through the entire main level and bedrooms, just like in the old house. I'll go into more detail about all of that later.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0sXKolm2LNBMyyRfzFB4utH0Bx2EPCB1j8hsKHvIXjCfLCGzeQe6geyS0keEFbLc732R8ZQfe2Pbxj2zmRFnB-K2NQmQ9xWo_hYwKjtIolzfXxSJzFdCyvosgdpIooiNB45bX4iZz7T3E/s1600/DSC01641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0sXKolm2LNBMyyRfzFB4utH0Bx2EPCB1j8hsKHvIXjCfLCGzeQe6geyS0keEFbLc732R8ZQfe2Pbxj2zmRFnB-K2NQmQ9xWo_hYwKjtIolzfXxSJzFdCyvosgdpIooiNB45bX4iZz7T3E/s640/DSC01641.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another view of the dining room.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNoiYAQFbAwX6M1KjIdwp9XcI3xZ5FQWhsJBaTC3VoFPicYzu6V9Iot-Z7dCGcDhcjb-Uu1YF-7hQdkckFDrtMRMnkln0kkSu0zy6Zj-7gN4hJ-E6t9rPFOf_VNaDJ-pG6enCGYCDbgw5Q/s1600/DSC01644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNoiYAQFbAwX6M1KjIdwp9XcI3xZ5FQWhsJBaTC3VoFPicYzu6V9Iot-Z7dCGcDhcjb-Uu1YF-7hQdkckFDrtMRMnkln0kkSu0zy6Zj-7gN4hJ-E6t9rPFOf_VNaDJ-pG6enCGYCDbgw5Q/s640/DSC01644.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There's the entryway. As in...you opened the front door, and you have entered.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS92QfcEfSNyIBJVefsLug6S1KWXJqEj3kc-Jk-4gE-JrcViH2_nRMauyPNEIOJ8wvRvo6iEnLGGw7clOgBSRXcEG8YOwaauW7d34b2noLl8N62SpzO7Dtk4F7WRRwnMJlkgG4Vh2dQzBm/s1600/DSC01646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS92QfcEfSNyIBJVefsLug6S1KWXJqEj3kc-Jk-4gE-JrcViH2_nRMauyPNEIOJ8wvRvo6iEnLGGw7clOgBSRXcEG8YOwaauW7d34b2noLl8N62SpzO7Dtk4F7WRRwnMJlkgG4Vh2dQzBm/s640/DSC01646.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And here's the living room.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS1iNrVapncRqGXIZZEexgHW8XhFrTLJb1yUt8io8F1sPchQ-FttN6qGFnEOCP4jghFGnZEnzR_6kfoCTgom1g81szhfOyqZ57wDCmhOvfyldVF6twNJl3WgJEYhBmsLfMofVgXGXK5d-h/s1600/DSC01647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS1iNrVapncRqGXIZZEexgHW8XhFrTLJb1yUt8io8F1sPchQ-FttN6qGFnEOCP4jghFGnZEnzR_6kfoCTgom1g81szhfOyqZ57wDCmhOvfyldVF6twNJl3WgJEYhBmsLfMofVgXGXK5d-h/s640/DSC01647.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another view of the living room. Not a dead body in there, just a pile of old curtains.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTsIS4BRyRQaINdzWhcxSJdnbjqiFhdJsSiq9wJupf4MlQAUPncZxF7QrbqRrPYgFqJnoSrvbxKRBgBm2ZJsj-w_At_c_mh9Fe5KSZo8W3ve42IY4ei1S8l0tQsO3hjijjL__3qGbkCOnv/s1600/DSC01649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTsIS4BRyRQaINdzWhcxSJdnbjqiFhdJsSiq9wJupf4MlQAUPncZxF7QrbqRrPYgFqJnoSrvbxKRBgBm2ZJsj-w_At_c_mh9Fe5KSZo8W3ve42IY4ei1S8l0tQsO3hjijjL__3qGbkCOnv/s640/DSC01649.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also note that sweet Tuscan (?) inspired wall texture. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've been really enjoying sanding that off.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From the below pic, you can see how there is a set of stairs and on the other side is the kitchen. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixigc0RMZzxFKKJJ7-vLM2Z26H9f8SBcIIB1FoIOibOC5b8dROKDEmXBNFdjkNQvGnXVqpXds6P1WT6SbvkNsAjM6Tja_KqHVyME502OjsN3QoVWtm_WjRtAfmzMDx6O0kFhuC5HfoTVd5/s1600/DSC01650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixigc0RMZzxFKKJJ7-vLM2Z26H9f8SBcIIB1FoIOibOC5b8dROKDEmXBNFdjkNQvGnXVqpXds6P1WT6SbvkNsAjM6Tja_KqHVyME502OjsN3QoVWtm_WjRtAfmzMDx6O0kFhuC5HfoTVd5/s640/DSC01650.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All of the stairs in this house (all 4 sets...gonna be werkin on my fitness) will be redone with hardwood. I'll be leaving the iron balusters alone, but painting the newel posts.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've been painting a lot this week already and everytime I paint over something that's orange, it's like Mario running over a mushroom.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEina8T8N-FS-SwbXCAbbooJIyDSypDIK13H9fGQk2vjh3fKYNxv43UMvaE5APFYUEKtIWzm1oDl5SdqZMjW0OCnWDYDHAaKCYbBUj9hPSUM9Mr6UHgN_0SLZVqISwuuxLeSRz9sWAg6lEjV/s1600/DSC01656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEina8T8N-FS-SwbXCAbbooJIyDSypDIK13H9fGQk2vjh3fKYNxv43UMvaE5APFYUEKtIWzm1oDl5SdqZMjW0OCnWDYDHAaKCYbBUj9hPSUM9Mr6UHgN_0SLZVqISwuuxLeSRz9sWAg6lEjV/s640/DSC01656.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, this set of stairs leads directly upstairs to the master bedroom.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1nTo27fLCP7L9p0CMu3_EUjC4k7IEeRB7QF5UBfKgCMxBB-QPEj90c_-5_JCXV9ik66Wwjso8VgCbe64s_euIEzcXH6O-qfBb0_f8hHLNPwvmkvOWIlCiHhVuz5czrhgd3fBFCAZ4Qbn/s1600/DSC01657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1nTo27fLCP7L9p0CMu3_EUjC4k7IEeRB7QF5UBfKgCMxBB-QPEj90c_-5_JCXV9ik66Wwjso8VgCbe64s_euIEzcXH6O-qfBb0_f8hHLNPwvmkvOWIlCiHhVuz5czrhgd3fBFCAZ4Qbn/s640/DSC01657.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And you literally walk up to our room. Again, there is no door. It's really no mystery why this house sat on the market for years. There are about a million reasons, but the no door thing seems pretty high up there.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We'll be fixing that asap.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugHtXH-qoqd1tO6SzIkG9uoQBtPRlSbnoIT4oUR8z_tMeKRC2CayCVW2e49YWzyNq2xXCl7SlGc7zj3QJ2yQGSVfF4hGpvmanUsGUch6pxIjFx2B9IeJtBCcG4IXuOEXBhPGLi1ZML8h5/s1600/DSC01659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugHtXH-qoqd1tO6SzIkG9uoQBtPRlSbnoIT4oUR8z_tMeKRC2CayCVW2e49YWzyNq2xXCl7SlGc7zj3QJ2yQGSVfF4hGpvmanUsGUch6pxIjFx2B9IeJtBCcG4IXuOEXBhPGLi1ZML8h5/s640/DSC01659.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here is the master bedroom. It has its own little balcony and it's a pretty decent size. And for some reason, I've slept so good up here. It just feels so peaceful, even with old dog carpet.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You guys know how much I loved our old master bedroom, but the truth of the matter is that it was in a busy neighborhood and I could hear cars constantly zooming around our house. It's so nice to just hear crickets. I've always been a bit of an insomniac, so for me to just be falling asleep the minute I get into bed feels like some sort of life changing event.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMN1Ml2bs9x8BBovxAfTiBmpTBQKb3yh_URV63CgJGUB0346ZyR_CK6PmAggnlmmiEv1ZKdqBN8K5GkbBkfhcvpZl9Y5VDoBvL_hVjT5PZU69-l0r6jvr2iZYvFbwkP0X9usYhiXqHdX-w/s1600/DSC01660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMN1Ml2bs9x8BBovxAfTiBmpTBQKb3yh_URV63CgJGUB0346ZyR_CK6PmAggnlmmiEv1ZKdqBN8K5GkbBkfhcvpZl9Y5VDoBvL_hVjT5PZU69-l0r6jvr2iZYvFbwkP0X9usYhiXqHdX-w/s640/DSC01660.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's the view from the opposite side. You can see the staircase leading down to the main level, that's the walk in closet straight ahead, and the door to the master bathroom on the left.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfg4boX5Oe_besJOZllKPV4S_nRJhrjmDrgjUK-Osn8b8J57ED2BJ_c0433xQU3U6winaf0ZrDxeGqi3P8iLKbhKy5rlO3quraiazAeZ_IThA-Y-is34CdagbYNYAEHYzkRM7s_sXv2pJ/s1600/DSC01663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfg4boX5Oe_besJOZllKPV4S_nRJhrjmDrgjUK-Osn8b8J57ED2BJ_c0433xQU3U6winaf0ZrDxeGqi3P8iLKbhKy5rlO3quraiazAeZ_IThA-Y-is34CdagbYNYAEHYzkRM7s_sXv2pJ/s640/DSC01663.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Master closet. Not huge, not small. I can deal with it. I'll rework it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1OAqCQIUAuK5osPa51nPNuWye0Ai0zgr2vC-yaT19LQopUqNEoeFSO5WzV9dKYN-qT0IO0LuZWpvviIfWa3L0tbYL878WjEJAdiTyNYbrfdJxufDdDx91JFDF0LVIGO2XppXwoXhCHpA/s1600/DSC01664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1OAqCQIUAuK5osPa51nPNuWye0Ai0zgr2vC-yaT19LQopUqNEoeFSO5WzV9dKYN-qT0IO0LuZWpvviIfWa3L0tbYL878WjEJAdiTyNYbrfdJxufDdDx91JFDF0LVIGO2XppXwoXhCHpA/s640/DSC01664.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And here is the master bath. These are the professional pics from the real estate listing.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqAiJkd-8wFE8PHdfr1eqG0yKuo1q3e6wuYydcMvIViq16_RycKgaHaiLs6iP54GBy0lS_uV7a7Bg1t1nQjFK5ChtCotw2gMQIM51pOGdbqkcaluYYWIpOQrZgK6CpSGMfhB_dbjXlwTg/s1600/2484946-1504241532226017-p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></span><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqAiJkd-8wFE8PHdfr1eqG0yKuo1q3e6wuYydcMvIViq16_RycKgaHaiLs6iP54GBy0lS_uV7a7Bg1t1nQjFK5ChtCotw2gMQIM51pOGdbqkcaluYYWIpOQrZgK6CpSGMfhB_dbjXlwTg/s640/2484946-1504241532226017-p.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've met with a couple different contractors to discuss options. We've discussed making a bigger shower, replacing the big tub with a free standing tub, etc. Or even just retiling the entire thing and painting it. It will really come down to the budget, so we will see. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWrA2F_PHlM6oYShf6E53j-0vLAc_FHBLwPNldyCMGQrFLEbHUYUadGGxMz5loRMjwLs4AVJXlVeZb-bjnAperD53TIHgu9Ef-cgmBz2kBKLOrKVn_gGh00tTS0dh_CPC526iYGm2n_9F/s1600/2484946-1504241532249242-p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWrA2F_PHlM6oYShf6E53j-0vLAc_FHBLwPNldyCMGQrFLEbHUYUadGGxMz5loRMjwLs4AVJXlVeZb-bjnAperD53TIHgu9Ef-cgmBz2kBKLOrKVn_gGh00tTS0dh_CPC526iYGm2n_9F/s640/2484946-1504241532249242-p.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These are pics from my own camera, and again, a much more honest look of what's really there. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgrNqugWDnzqht6lx0h79VU7cCsglRYjjQpAhyphenhyphenz7a91ZrCHr05qahTWd5Z9i5S-TuipmwXZ_sqC6U04R_iOgeZ-NBugqxOOWyHz_FZ18yEvljCzhtpl7AAIyta91Y-rDeEYglteSMupXk/s1600/DSC01666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgrNqugWDnzqht6lx0h79VU7cCsglRYjjQpAhyphenhyphenz7a91ZrCHr05qahTWd5Z9i5S-TuipmwXZ_sqC6U04R_iOgeZ-NBugqxOOWyHz_FZ18yEvljCzhtpl7AAIyta91Y-rDeEYglteSMupXk/s640/DSC01666.JPG" width="570" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFpSXzeA99zbZbDAu_CC2qPpGGIN9qrrrCZCCoNYa2u0RvkKvG0jkkiV3SIDmunuw7z7siPn2OymJnN2Sr9bw6ILIMwm2cRsq4nlftNJflF6w7S-63kdytxvj5W8v7cvs9lgWp-5gvRSgh/s1600/DSC01667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFpSXzeA99zbZbDAu_CC2qPpGGIN9qrrrCZCCoNYa2u0RvkKvG0jkkiV3SIDmunuw7z7siPn2OymJnN2Sr9bw6ILIMwm2cRsq4nlftNJflF6w7S-63kdytxvj5W8v7cvs9lgWp-5gvRSgh/s640/DSC01667.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I mean, in all honesty, it feels like a big upgrade from our last master bathroom, so even though I know it's not really stylin', Ava and I have used that tub almost every single day.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And also, there's this.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTK5jon1xBIIU3bEh22cK6CnUJPc6KzrgnIXkVOpB6WUuPHYcfmaI9-lzRpoEunIxog77HNS_blmzYJIZ6U3m43fzzNEGd4k-oqT63xU38jsu5KkwedEFxpeHGO2kFi1XcSvH9nftohyphenhyphenL/s1600/13697111_10104024727046625_1210390864113449033_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTK5jon1xBIIU3bEh22cK6CnUJPc6KzrgnIXkVOpB6WUuPHYcfmaI9-lzRpoEunIxog77HNS_blmzYJIZ6U3m43fzzNEGd4k-oqT63xU38jsu5KkwedEFxpeHGO2kFi1XcSvH9nftohyphenhyphenL/s640/13697111_10104024727046625_1210390864113449033_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then last but not least, here is the basement.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Scary steps leading down (will be redone)...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ94ebqBrPDag3HglaX5qTc6sfsh_G_nT-J-17ChvWudNJRJgR5sBljxjn5A914-_mMzy5SCnkIbt27vTmru6EnM4Pz0FpZ2c1YqkdIEYx4V2tGmkEOrTPIb8uC0yu-CWUwFz7QFAMW-xf/s1600/DSC01680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ94ebqBrPDag3HglaX5qTc6sfsh_G_nT-J-17ChvWudNJRJgR5sBljxjn5A914-_mMzy5SCnkIbt27vTmru6EnM4Pz0FpZ2c1YqkdIEYx4V2tGmkEOrTPIb8uC0yu-CWUwFz7QFAMW-xf/s640/DSC01680.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Here's the main room. Keeping that sweet light fixture (no).</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_TCJXqZlhMlEqJtOHBzflptceTeYIMoTUwBO5lWn5gYbIUACSVLGmmZbLzRej_zbFguu0EANfOy8ZVLkoYT6y7wkst821NLxU-yB6S254-iKm4jxX8t2-xlENaiYNc3ry-sKnVGieKmJ/s1600/DSC01673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_TCJXqZlhMlEqJtOHBzflptceTeYIMoTUwBO5lWn5gYbIUACSVLGmmZbLzRej_zbFguu0EANfOy8ZVLkoYT6y7wkst821NLxU-yB6S254-iKm4jxX8t2-xlENaiYNc3ry-sKnVGieKmJ/s640/DSC01673.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The beam will be removed and replaced with a header, since it is also load bearing. But, that way it will be one big room, rather than a big room with a beam in the middle. And obviously some other things will be done, like flooring, paint, etc. We love a good basement hangout, so I know we'll get a lot of use out of this space.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi632sm1J0ox6JsXsGHKAbD6dIMqdJ9h7_itvLnA5XoFJNjLw4zYYnesO3KA-yqpIwtGeFinTthtoSSPCC3ffbCQ08mH0yYVAZIgJllgZaztJrTt63aCFeGRw3QqGS35M2t-5T4Our89PVQ/s1600/DSC01674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi632sm1J0ox6JsXsGHKAbD6dIMqdJ9h7_itvLnA5XoFJNjLw4zYYnesO3KA-yqpIwtGeFinTthtoSSPCC3ffbCQ08mH0yYVAZIgJllgZaztJrTt63aCFeGRw3QqGS35M2t-5T4Our89PVQ/s640/DSC01674.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also down in the basement is a really awful laundry room and an office space. I have some plans for this space that include adding a bathroom and drywalling in the laundry room area, but those are low on the renovation totem pole. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDAj0PGfIemcTw_Yr1J_ZDSOoeKFcy9a5kjNIkUG5SciN52DhzcnEl8-FPxwDA2V4N4WaBSrLtlVu-_RxK_y4HFirAKE65vdmLzKD9Z4aRQg8Y069ZlRTnN544ek1ye9YhUCbvoaTEzma/s1600/DSC01678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDAj0PGfIemcTw_Yr1J_ZDSOoeKFcy9a5kjNIkUG5SciN52DhzcnEl8-FPxwDA2V4N4WaBSrLtlVu-_RxK_y4HFirAKE65vdmLzKD9Z4aRQg8Y069ZlRTnN544ek1ye9YhUCbvoaTEzma/s640/DSC01678.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the view from the walkout basement. There's a huge deck down here that we plan to turn into a screened in porch. Eventually. The lake is in walking distance, just down the street, so you hear a lot of water noises. It's heaven.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSk0gBr1RyvR5FygReDDPOzfKQWnIZ9pGubxfFCKdv3Ot_xd3xMdzHmmBmjoxj5xjAFKY9_pT3gi-ZacnEoRPB8nQ0-UqIcBhRq2i_nrcipMfDWEJbppWZ8J5S6ozCnQ7N6HI4A23RYLwj/s1600/DSC01675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSk0gBr1RyvR5FygReDDPOzfKQWnIZ9pGubxfFCKdv3Ot_xd3xMdzHmmBmjoxj5xjAFKY9_pT3gi-ZacnEoRPB8nQ0-UqIcBhRq2i_nrcipMfDWEJbppWZ8J5S6ozCnQ7N6HI4A23RYLwj/s640/DSC01675.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And now you can go back up my shaggy carpeted basement stairs and the tour is over.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqJWIf27X08ZcBb0STTpPNuUYp6vBXBiSpiiMzRWeEYTwjvvVO9jtZz3qGjAYSY3VADrAUJKWB2lbfzJ_e5bocUW0_sx43ikp6cmprcJgyLYjULheOHzEXKegqwb2ERiVvOxhCRRpB-9l/s1600/DSC01679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqJWIf27X08ZcBb0STTpPNuUYp6vBXBiSpiiMzRWeEYTwjvvVO9jtZz3qGjAYSY3VADrAUJKWB2lbfzJ_e5bocUW0_sx43ikp6cmprcJgyLYjULheOHzEXKegqwb2ERiVvOxhCRRpB-9l/s640/DSC01679.JPG" width="428" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's the order I took the pictures on my camera, and my time is limited these days with a feisty 13 month old, so just saving the best for last.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank you guys SO MUCH for believing in me and for following along on this journey. Your comments and love via <a href="http://www.instagram.com/livelovediy">Instagram</a> over the past week or so have seriously kept me going. I just can't even tell you how much that means to me.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm so excited to be getting started on this project and I'm so glad you guys are coming along with me.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Until next time.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(Also, if you're behind on what's been going on, you can catch up <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2016/06/how-we-sold-our-house-in-week-and-final.html">here</a>.)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXua01hwlaCTNc826YI21QgTpSjO6FFLJoQTgfo7sFzqnNI9RCg03Ty8oNyUotn0pCrPQIdmpg6AzpAcWHSxCwsdi71me5JqgtEyZ7y5y0ycpG7qSq8nUYFMZbvC9QqqErQBEfcStI-Vqf/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXua01hwlaCTNc826YI21QgTpSjO6FFLJoQTgfo7sFzqnNI9RCg03Ty8oNyUotn0pCrPQIdmpg6AzpAcWHSxCwsdi71me5JqgtEyZ7y5y0ycpG7qSq8nUYFMZbvC9QqqErQBEfcStI-Vqf/s1600/signature.png" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com58tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-14934246332215452912016-06-30T21:32:00.001-04:002016-06-30T22:40:11.483-04:00Ava Turns One (plus some updates on the house)!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsb-pom_VJhC2-UgbYwtioTONm4zz8rRyGm6MuHaYSMVVhcdTvX0Wp2tA6vY2lOY3V4Jru0w9eoNus7ADHtUL-1yVAvBQuc3bTrbj_IKu2jMBvsf7YBVDloPHEBqJdUJ82M442PAXdT218/s1600/13466241_10103946018938305_8712687515489848305_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsb-pom_VJhC2-UgbYwtioTONm4zz8rRyGm6MuHaYSMVVhcdTvX0Wp2tA6vY2lOY3V4Jru0w9eoNus7ADHtUL-1yVAvBQuc3bTrbj_IKu2jMBvsf7YBVDloPHEBqJdUJ82M442PAXdT218/s320/13466241_10103946018938305_8712687515489848305_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Hey y'all! So, last week we celebrated Ava's birthday.<br />
<br />
<br />
I can barely believe it's been a year since this precious little human was born. I look at that picture to the left and my heart melts. I forgot she was ever that tiny.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
From the moment she was born, Jesse and I were pretty much smitten.<br />
The experience was so much more powerful than either one of us had ever imagined it would be.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcPBSMCeOPnTV0IEg0hk8P3UL6xQdxYChUBAfJ3lXN4er95sNhAjkpfqFi3ijStKcm7mq-d8MAx2EgRw2NtBsTAARlCUJ86Vgn1OYjIVJNZLiNs7HfjWD_YJ7ZWrzANiP6jMxk_TT3y8o/s1600/11011191_10103172326783585_8871092193746624816_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcPBSMCeOPnTV0IEg0hk8P3UL6xQdxYChUBAfJ3lXN4er95sNhAjkpfqFi3ijStKcm7mq-d8MAx2EgRw2NtBsTAARlCUJ86Vgn1OYjIVJNZLiNs7HfjWD_YJ7ZWrzANiP6jMxk_TT3y8o/s640/11011191_10103172326783585_8871092193746624816_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It had been such a difficult pregnancy followed by a really peaceful birth. I'm thankful for that, as I know it doesn't always happen that way. I think my water broke around 4:30 am and she was born by 7:30 am. I know a lot of bloggers go into great detail with a birth story (and I loooove reading them), but I just feel like I want to keep it as my own private moment. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Plus, I think sometimes you get just enough from a picture to understand. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3h0dooNqHwj3XkHAAiCXkKC3r0-bzAanSEiD9mfwAbN-FBckJvOnvpWALYbV1EXZeSVGDinBfE2DDc1B35pY2qZyFfQcDYpYm6GaDCBFldhO3832CqBo8eF1wMa6C-te-ZZapqcXKKIS/s1600/11692557_10103183126450965_3847104698891388216_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3h0dooNqHwj3XkHAAiCXkKC3r0-bzAanSEiD9mfwAbN-FBckJvOnvpWALYbV1EXZeSVGDinBfE2DDc1B35pY2qZyFfQcDYpYm6GaDCBFldhO3832CqBo8eF1wMa6C-te-ZZapqcXKKIS/s640/11692557_10103183126450965_3847104698891388216_n.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
There has been no greater joy than watching Ava grow and develop her own little personality over the past year. I've especially enjoyed the past 2 months. She's just so much fun (and let's be honest, so much work) and there are times when I truly feel like we share a sense of humor. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I mean, what is that?! Like when they look at you and laugh and you think it's funny, too. And you're just both laughing. Or when I see her so determined to figure something out (like walking) and she tries over and over and over again. And then she finally gets it and walks from couch to couch, and then I scream with joy, and she is almost overjoyed by my joy over her accomplishment. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
These are the little moments I am just loving right now.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Very thankful. Very happy. Feeling good about life.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And things are so much easier now. I've decided that perhaps I'm not cut out to enjoy the early part of the first year. It was hard on me. Really hard. And that's just the truth. Granted, I struggled with postpartum depression for about 7 months, and Ava had colic for 6 months, but even with those hurdles, I just enjoy this part so much more. So many people told me it would get better (and they were right), but for me, having a baby was such an abstract thing because I had never done it before. I feel like if I ever do it again (which I don't know yet...there's a lot to think about when you know you'll be a high risk pregnancy), I assume that it would be different in a lot of ways, because you would know what to expect, or at least you would know more than your first go-round.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I'm rambling. These are just things that I often think about and wonder if other women have had experiences similar to mine.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I remember the first few weeks better than almost anytime of my life. Because it was so surreal, almost euphoric. I was so excited, kinda terrified, nothing made sense, and my body hurt like hell. And I was pretty sure nothing could ever embarrass me again. I felt liberated. And Jesse had witnessed the whole ordeal and felt pretty liberated, too. It was hilarious. He loved to talk about the birth he had just witnessed with people who were coming to see the baby, and I had to be like, okay, no one wants to hear about the details of this situation, SHUT IT DOWN.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Another memory that comes to mind is about baby clothes. I know so many new moms have experienced this...surely I can't be the only one. I had been lovingly collecting tiny newborn clothes for over a month when I was pregnant, folding them, and them putting them in her dresser. I even bought baby hangers at one point (stop it). I had all these frilly, multiple piece outfits and I was so excited to dress the baby. And put her in shoes. Freakin' shoes.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And then I brought this tiny little human home, weighing in at about 6 pounds, and I was literally afraid to hold her at first, much less cram her into a three piece pants suit. I figured it out pretty quickly, but those first few weeks were just a parade of mustard diapers, hand washing the 45 pieces of my Medela, and swapping two hour shifts with Jesse because each of us were afraid to sleep and someone needed to watch her breathe at all times. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I also remember trying to bathe Ava for the first time. I had bought this cute little sunflower sponge when I was pregnant. After the first time we used it, I was back on Amazon in a matter of minutes ordering one of those really ugly hot pink infant tubs with a sling. The sling tub was hideous and worked perfectly and I mourned it when we outgrew it. That was a big lesson for me, too, that for probably the first time ever I totally valued function over form, and I actually even kinda enjoyed filling our house with baby crap. And then Ava outgrew it and I was hawt to get rid of it..... texting my friends like WHO NEEDS A ROCK N PLAY??!?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3jN-nxy-7UVvBD3AU3iaQDO2TPDTzO6UXaUZgsX3NRBJcS8c0VjXHQD6K1jJ3N6x5d000KFwF3mHJahCPx8D-jTPxh-uEdCuQT8dsMr9fhQcf0ynoVQDrMwnoopDcOwH3ODGkuPKeejl/s1600/11694118_10103196453413625_4964541538714969917_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3jN-nxy-7UVvBD3AU3iaQDO2TPDTzO6UXaUZgsX3NRBJcS8c0VjXHQD6K1jJ3N6x5d000KFwF3mHJahCPx8D-jTPxh-uEdCuQT8dsMr9fhQcf0ynoVQDrMwnoopDcOwH3ODGkuPKeejl/s640/11694118_10103196453413625_4964541538714969917_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
One of my biggest takeaways from the experience of being a first time mom over the past year is that I'm so thankful for Jesse. He's always been a really great partner, but I truly fell in love with him all over again watching him be a father.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
From day one, he's woken up early with Ava, changed her diapers, and just been present for her. He's been by my side to encourage me and support me and pick me up when I felt overwhelmed. He's shared equally the hard times and the good times, and he's shown us both unconditional love in ways I can't even express in words. He feels like Ava is his responsibility as much as she is mine, and that has truly been life changing for me. I love him madly.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A few of my favorite pics of Jesse and Ava early on...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0OExGK5WCv7gG2iFmeLHAG9CmXuiMNF25lHB79lQMtB9-mxwqVnNgYzXFQn1hBVJ9zbPRJr6cLwaDtozpvFMVPwwDQuIpKSXg_C-vcnGDueNwbUUUgBT9eIOTZibuTU7V5YGId_w0mA0X/s1600/10521903_10103222604421795_4420024078530073566_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0OExGK5WCv7gG2iFmeLHAG9CmXuiMNF25lHB79lQMtB9-mxwqVnNgYzXFQn1hBVJ9zbPRJr6cLwaDtozpvFMVPwwDQuIpKSXg_C-vcnGDueNwbUUUgBT9eIOTZibuTU7V5YGId_w0mA0X/s640/10521903_10103222604421795_4420024078530073566_n.jpg" width="384" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Ava's little face (below)...can't handle it.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I think she was 3 months there. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Loves him.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRbYkxNt4RpinbuogHoNW6EdOa_qSPStu9e5ebp7H1cw-3KXWO1aXWl87A9u1TI6QJSGSta8SjPYHf2oeucEG6_rjZaDfUPIyMbDb7vNV9k5PEBwbJaZOiXwpsMFeKyS8PzILyxMgShEiu/s1600/11990437_10103333304782385_7961905407847482043_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRbYkxNt4RpinbuogHoNW6EdOa_qSPStu9e5ebp7H1cw-3KXWO1aXWl87A9u1TI6QJSGSta8SjPYHf2oeucEG6_rjZaDfUPIyMbDb7vNV9k5PEBwbJaZOiXwpsMFeKyS8PzILyxMgShEiu/s640/11990437_10103333304782385_7961905407847482043_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And this one. Obviously.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_SsWNchfSaWpClmdh_OrSDW4gIqQX_JYGrxgbBmVPFsrv5TE0ITeesifE8ZXO0m2HOtsErzjrLV-MQQXxjfRgEcU_mks_Mm3cU9oTUaD08lmoolJ1YPNrkjFPcPCm8G01hFbtUaKS-MtU/s1600/12369041_10103519232581585_29016298039818388_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_SsWNchfSaWpClmdh_OrSDW4gIqQX_JYGrxgbBmVPFsrv5TE0ITeesifE8ZXO0m2HOtsErzjrLV-MQQXxjfRgEcU_mks_Mm3cU9oTUaD08lmoolJ1YPNrkjFPcPCm8G01hFbtUaKS-MtU/s640/12369041_10103519232581585_29016298039818388_n.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Some of my other favorite pics from Ava's first year.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Her first game day around 3 months. I'm not a big football person, but Jesse is, and hey, I love to socialize, so let's go. Her dad ran out and bought her an orange onesie from Walgreens. She was obviously loving it. I was so happy to be going out with friends and to not be pregnant. I had morning sickness almost throughout my entire pregnancy (oh the joy), so I truly felt like celebrating the first few months following Ava's birth when I no longer felt nauseous. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I love how bald she is there. Did anyone else's baby go bald around 2-3 months? It's so fun to remember all the weird things that happen along the way. I remember feeling like, but does Walgreens have a headband?!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHvhG2fy2INy-eZqsMZjfKHR-MmK0EMmzbHEWRuMwnVKi6VMSYITz6vG_4fKJhlqIuZzyxVcgrLGfJTp8QNFC11WGUWYepATwfkkh5OFlHtxQC_kZ0fRcVCjpZqLRA1x4bW3PApa34Yut/s1600/10897817_10103372437190725_5272921764188357755_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHvhG2fy2INy-eZqsMZjfKHR-MmK0EMmzbHEWRuMwnVKi6VMSYITz6vG_4fKJhlqIuZzyxVcgrLGfJTp8QNFC11WGUWYepATwfkkh5OFlHtxQC_kZ0fRcVCjpZqLRA1x4bW3PApa34Yut/s640/10897817_10103372437190725_5272921764188357755_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
First visit to mall Santa. And a look of pure disgust. This pic will live on my fridge for all of eternity.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The best part is that we did not plan that at all. We just randomly took Ava to the mall around thanksgiving, dressed like that, and saw Santa, and looked at each other like, 'Well, obviously, we have to.'. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZB2XKgb20KQdfq598VCdfp9538lD8JZyFOMwaq_hEx7kcizx84XFx51MlhXTkfsO1dgCY89SldcJepMgSVEDnrwPVKVEjmJvuTTtFfjmNMtPSiLowoG2T2ZEdKRjHY_CVVv_C3ujyyJO/s1600/12243427_10103454903248085_2737045951902089718_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZB2XKgb20KQdfq598VCdfp9538lD8JZyFOMwaq_hEx7kcizx84XFx51MlhXTkfsO1dgCY89SldcJepMgSVEDnrwPVKVEjmJvuTTtFfjmNMtPSiLowoG2T2ZEdKRjHY_CVVv_C3ujyyJO/s640/12243427_10103454903248085_2737045951902089718_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
First snow. I think she's about 6 months here. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2377jbBepGr8IGnG1CmCko_RDn1I1Tkb1E3YzUPLb9idQN8hqv5kQHxV3-u4Mcqta4qKVG6V1SLoMz544kCx3p8rQ2Xj0ke9XwWWviEADZsEGzSV9nDD_XZtK_PuGQNS-rbfRRTNe4rU/s1600/12573053_10103583748471225_7909902074150779925_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2377jbBepGr8IGnG1CmCko_RDn1I1Tkb1E3YzUPLb9idQN8hqv5kQHxV3-u4Mcqta4qKVG6V1SLoMz544kCx3p8rQ2Xj0ke9XwWWviEADZsEGzSV9nDD_XZtK_PuGQNS-rbfRRTNe4rU/s640/12573053_10103583748471225_7909902074150779925_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
First swim. Also at 6 months. We went to visit Jesse's parents in Michigan after Christmas and got to enjoy snow and a swim. It was my first hint that she was going to be obsessed with being in the water.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAwfQyatbi9BUpGknbc5P6elouw94KOSFbCSnILRAdU2dVnfB4mhyphenhyphenKTf25rNsnawOMzDZjR-tzjHAo0xTUq688CfwaECCuSEJ7Dkld_7g7hyBQI1ftS8dEFDolwuWS4cI8YVwgZwKim56/s1600/12650958_10103618184585975_7045182017624712592_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAwfQyatbi9BUpGknbc5P6elouw94KOSFbCSnILRAdU2dVnfB4mhyphenhyphenKTf25rNsnawOMzDZjR-tzjHAo0xTUq688CfwaECCuSEJ7Dkld_7g7hyBQI1ftS8dEFDolwuWS4cI8YVwgZwKim56/s640/12650958_10103618184585975_7045182017624712592_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Around 8 months. Finally a big girl who can sit in the shopping cart and 'help'. This was also the time period when we were really into headbands. It lasted about a month before she started ripping them off. It was fun while it lasted.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKkMuPxeGckoyp3OljhvH7qSO8sXDWz3-eP9qyF-_4R_buYpCgGfDfJJaaPpfkQQNuTuykEAoszcNJiOqvG4x2E6Dp1dO88YYRX-E-O5lBVjRbO6Wgzr0cqGy-HLa0FOlPKxYj9yUwZND/s1600/10530810_10103712892221115_6394516532898654415_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKkMuPxeGckoyp3OljhvH7qSO8sXDWz3-eP9qyF-_4R_buYpCgGfDfJJaaPpfkQQNuTuykEAoszcNJiOqvG4x2E6Dp1dO88YYRX-E-O5lBVjRbO6Wgzr0cqGy-HLa0FOlPKxYj9yUwZND/s640/10530810_10103712892221115_6394516532898654415_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
10 months. Finally getting some teeth (She has 6 now!). Loves going out to eat, which is such a nice change of pace and makes me so happy.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Loves nothing more than people flirting with her, the wind through her hairs, a sippy cup, and a pile of cheerios. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJt6qVduJ84VCI2VZkouxT9LYd78g6AMZlW7j604R6V9XnXbh5zDkQZGqxkn4VN9VJKS-W_H3X6I7QYvQI2oBjuyXAvo2FHhmTV6Gb1f9LTmEy1eYrsW9HIhFnAgJdS_7ldprTic7aJqVM/s1600/13076662_10103813440272015_1076941337567587255_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJt6qVduJ84VCI2VZkouxT9LYd78g6AMZlW7j604R6V9XnXbh5zDkQZGqxkn4VN9VJKS-W_H3X6I7QYvQI2oBjuyXAvo2FHhmTV6Gb1f9LTmEy1eYrsW9HIhFnAgJdS_7ldprTic7aJqVM/s640/13076662_10103813440272015_1076941337567587255_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
12 months...sporting a tutu I've been saving for a special tutu occasion, but Jesse told me everyday is a tutu occasion, so we wore it to brunch.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix708Ew2fiHOrAiivZB0eB5m9RJLbSYMhWN7B74rarScY21ibFcuERBVfLnnQVBsD9AJP16PhYB6gUYn98TajIFTbl8ppxg_fAZtcsJ6JC2wJ8pLqdpyRQKO3pJyLRvsPEU7_d3PmnAOTy/s1600/13438828_10103951828076745_6701267914466761934_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix708Ew2fiHOrAiivZB0eB5m9RJLbSYMhWN7B74rarScY21ibFcuERBVfLnnQVBsD9AJP16PhYB6gUYn98TajIFTbl8ppxg_fAZtcsJ6JC2wJ8pLqdpyRQKO3pJyLRvsPEU7_d3PmnAOTy/s640/13438828_10103951828076745_6701267914466761934_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And on her birthday last week. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We went swimming and I took these awkward pictures. But, we had the best time, and Ava was in pure heaven splashing around with other toddlers. She makes friends wherever she goes....if you're under 5, she really wants to know what you're up to, and wants to share your toys. If you're lucky, she might take off her hat and give it to you. She'll definitely want it back though, thanks.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Q5jDU3ioUDA1NOo4RZABPmqnzi5Z9kq0aEQwPe7A1E3txhWijvbpD9UNnGNzMh43r7fPjW0Zrn-WGI7LfYG8H-5Eyv1kEzy0gKg34vCtDaqynyyn3bwsoTZKNIE-zvYntHu0_C9jV3C-/s1600/13516387_10103946359406005_4233390488131770035_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Q5jDU3ioUDA1NOo4RZABPmqnzi5Z9kq0aEQwPe7A1E3txhWijvbpD9UNnGNzMh43r7fPjW0Zrn-WGI7LfYG8H-5Eyv1kEzy0gKg34vCtDaqynyyn3bwsoTZKNIE-zvYntHu0_C9jV3C-/s320/13516387_10103946359406005_4233390488131770035_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And then we went to dinner with ChiChi (my mom) and let Ava smash her hand around in a little cake. She's never had cake before. She immediately realized after that first taste that she wanted ALL the cake, and these pictures explain the sequence of events pretty accurately.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgboWS7fhFdRBYivvdmLsgOwptlDkmKnTUaH1KlVRKodcbLyPZPD4CfPPY8Ak1zcCFgbWQxTnebIAVF6QFmbF0uZ9eMtO23lA0FR95RAtJoglG1vVQgOe7YWrUveMTsCdoGLm8dnjemD3KX/s1600/13516565_10103946835187535_2339951027667534223_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgboWS7fhFdRBYivvdmLsgOwptlDkmKnTUaH1KlVRKodcbLyPZPD4CfPPY8Ak1zcCFgbWQxTnebIAVF6QFmbF0uZ9eMtO23lA0FR95RAtJoglG1vVQgOe7YWrUveMTsCdoGLm8dnjemD3KX/s640/13516565_10103946835187535_2339951027667534223_n.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtondAShUaBS6rZs1K-8FocfP-mwp7ffxSD3PiChsQzQ4VIpHNkEF5h3VW_mNJgY70O_klezLcvIdENnn1yiMGBpDZwISsBtDPsjLoU4AZxJO9hkMLmXVvM-LukeYDjzG5-pyvrsqW_qfY/s1600/13501804_10103946835212485_5116019228034117412_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtondAShUaBS6rZs1K-8FocfP-mwp7ffxSD3PiChsQzQ4VIpHNkEF5h3VW_mNJgY70O_klezLcvIdENnn1yiMGBpDZwISsBtDPsjLoU4AZxJO9hkMLmXVvM-LukeYDjzG5-pyvrsqW_qfY/s640/13501804_10103946835212485_5116019228034117412_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NIemVIG11XTZvawZURgkRaxnhycD3hEeS3G0n8kztkLoCH666u69CFG7xNQrBIcCCl-tWca7v_J7BQngAKJRRney2uBROLt_UAdVc34-auqmO6WgsD9y4wkWR7JSOmCVP59SQKPp2T-G/s1600/13495113_10103946835297315_3905964208111811724_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NIemVIG11XTZvawZURgkRaxnhycD3hEeS3G0n8kztkLoCH666u69CFG7xNQrBIcCCl-tWca7v_J7BQngAKJRRney2uBROLt_UAdVc34-auqmO6WgsD9y4wkWR7JSOmCVP59SQKPp2T-G/s640/13495113_10103946835297315_3905964208111811724_n.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8x91QeeySYTyX7SRTPNbCXc4tQxSSIWfBYQRAJSgEON_j7sSPlyqwlC_QrL_hcLe5C6Bq-p9q8y_g3CAOb7nm6sXpBgvOJZSS2VrTLCZzHNItb1dTIlaK53eRHRv9EUMF2r24OkfX5Hg/s1600/13502082_10103946835312285_8998347627602622478_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8x91QeeySYTyX7SRTPNbCXc4tQxSSIWfBYQRAJSgEON_j7sSPlyqwlC_QrL_hcLe5C6Bq-p9q8y_g3CAOb7nm6sXpBgvOJZSS2VrTLCZzHNItb1dTIlaK53eRHRv9EUMF2r24OkfX5Hg/s640/13502082_10103946835312285_8998347627602622478_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIlGlTJnH_1axRLV25keHIMjtGCycDdV8xGsUJSdgtpHUXMUawr0tA-AgjZRCgxnPxY5spMgf_W69n_NuCXmfNxO8MhCQmXEShCjv5qdtIkodFXRaN8TLNsF8JmVfmGz8qdEIxLhA_p4s4/s1600/13465986_10103946835377155_2191673866327925949_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIlGlTJnH_1axRLV25keHIMjtGCycDdV8xGsUJSdgtpHUXMUawr0tA-AgjZRCgxnPxY5spMgf_W69n_NuCXmfNxO8MhCQmXEShCjv5qdtIkodFXRaN8TLNsF8JmVfmGz8qdEIxLhA_p4s4/s640/13465986_10103946835377155_2191673866327925949_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0DKv-tJpsPjKzjSJ6qOrkyb4jEnlvjP_wtpz6-zaT6h7qQYZAeb83JLoxcXo7YMCHrLnKMW5Q4KdLFvfzjNkf3QMPp03bgReV7zXz7Jrmi58CQo-xSbZbVCK1gnW2ADMbCCxcLfev16O/s1600/13524377_10103946835387135_1224615630657112300_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0DKv-tJpsPjKzjSJ6qOrkyb4jEnlvjP_wtpz6-zaT6h7qQYZAeb83JLoxcXo7YMCHrLnKMW5Q4KdLFvfzjNkf3QMPp03bgReV7zXz7Jrmi58CQo-xSbZbVCK1gnW2ADMbCCxcLfev16O/s640/13524377_10103946835387135_1224615630657112300_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
She loved the cake and didn't appreciate me taking it from her. At all.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Then, her ChiChi gave her a tiny bus, and she spent hours riding it around the basement.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeznmyNLyvRbNczTOEx8ZWC3aYTHV7NPkzqijrmcUHOQXZGchYKkMVCtHAsvHxmq5x4fnFqRxeWRh25d2xsq4ssoO7a5U2gVCo8CZkRZHwUJYKkfGgnOGLvsbGyqbBv9-Lv0_E0iASOWzt/s1600/13537502_10103952606596585_5580919379405329524_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeznmyNLyvRbNczTOEx8ZWC3aYTHV7NPkzqijrmcUHOQXZGchYKkMVCtHAsvHxmq5x4fnFqRxeWRh25d2xsq4ssoO7a5U2gVCo8CZkRZHwUJYKkfGgnOGLvsbGyqbBv9-Lv0_E0iASOWzt/s640/13537502_10103952606596585_5580919379405329524_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAiSCPsNYhGv0CIkktqVcg3nzg7Ae9YpO2GHBSkKngUgrVOs2nXaBBziC8hxTm9vEcH-V9hdnsnRo660bRp-zFyaMj4LcCkEqz_Mfsj5ea1Mf5uvjuHYnbyuHQtDGpdEKvOILvUOQydPt/s1600/13434913_10103952606342095_3865833827696591412_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAiSCPsNYhGv0CIkktqVcg3nzg7Ae9YpO2GHBSkKngUgrVOs2nXaBBziC8hxTm9vEcH-V9hdnsnRo660bRp-zFyaMj4LcCkEqz_Mfsj5ea1Mf5uvjuHYnbyuHQtDGpdEKvOILvUOQydPt/s640/13434913_10103952606342095_3865833827696591412_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I feel like that's a pretty decent birthday when you're one.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And I also feel like you guys are really special people to read a blog post about my baby. :)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
In house related news, we closed on our house this week!!!! We'll be walking through with a contractor next week and getting a better idea of what's what. I'll be getting some ugly before pics for you, too. We won't be moving into the house for a few more weeks, but I've been spending all my free time brainstorming and hatching my plan for the new house. I can't wait to share more. And I eventually will, I promise.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8gcc6IK-_pagoFoi2BzIqrKSqB-De5rbIKNAn2LZtvHMjHvazdXdrAAHjZGdRdf5NYQQIL3ushpuMK6yX_5lA2IocnCVPFXvWY02WkMbMA0TcHRdFoXFLNJkZe8EhFVrZ_tsPRTXPU9A5/s1600/13537660_10103957241877445_4202985356390355444_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8gcc6IK-_pagoFoi2BzIqrKSqB-De5rbIKNAn2LZtvHMjHvazdXdrAAHjZGdRdf5NYQQIL3ushpuMK6yX_5lA2IocnCVPFXvWY02WkMbMA0TcHRdFoXFLNJkZe8EhFVrZ_tsPRTXPU9A5/s640/13537660_10103957241877445_4202985356390355444_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Thanks for being here, y'all. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Until next time.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2T4ForA3E3xMLjQDhAPqbTGjMM4ZCjyKN42ebytbgWNJ4Ky_HsDzZjKQMtQmFtaMBY3ruSCs13lrGPKYTZduTPJ0x1Jpu_cFIV9VENCLhJUFX4_tt6EH9EFq8Z27iAbvuGvSYxBEYHrKK/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2T4ForA3E3xMLjQDhAPqbTGjMM4ZCjyKN42ebytbgWNJ4Ky_HsDzZjKQMtQmFtaMBY3ruSCs13lrGPKYTZduTPJ0x1Jpu_cFIV9VENCLhJUFX4_tt6EH9EFq8Z27iAbvuGvSYxBEYHrKK/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<center>
</center>
<center>
</center>
<center>
Follow my blog with<br /><a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3384224/?claim=jkea24f9wt7"><img align="middle" alt="bloglovin' photo BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii634/livelovediy/BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" width="30%" /></a></center>
<br />
<center>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.image-maps.com/m/private/7229/5712-LiveLoveDIYSOCIAL_zps2f8f6f4a.jpg" height="45" id="Image-Maps-Com-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" usemap="#image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" width="300" /><map id="ImageMapsCom-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" name="image-maps-2014-02-16-213014"><area alt="pinterest" coords="43,0,84,43" href="http://www.pinterest.com/livelovediy/" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Pinterest"></area><area alt="facebook" coords="88,1,127,42" href="https://www.facebook.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Facebook"></area><area alt="instagram" coords="132,1,173,42" href="http://instagram.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Instagram"></area><area alt="twitter" coords="177,0,219,41" href="https://twitter.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Twitter"></area><area alt="Image Map" coords="298,43,300,45" href="http://www.image-maps.com/index.php?aff=mapped_users_7229" shape="rect" title="Image Map"></area></map><form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=livelovediy/PtTE', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 0px solid #ccc; padding: 0px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small;">Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email!</span></b><br />
Enter your email address:<br />
<input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br />
<input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form>
</center>
LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-23270962867485589662016-06-22T19:26:00.000-04:002016-06-22T19:31:33.470-04:00How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMFY6_xRo8vvLyv0MN3cAsrq4GU7vE3ex5i3tvm8DRgcKwsslyUWqSVMtduvyP4I1sRmnOUJjzW8gPYM4Gjn8O0JyWsRx21BRwD2aALjpaWZ_dZeZnT25iKI_t7vSgsHvBBqcQOe8Tvpv6/s1600/HOW+TO+SELL+A+HOUSE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMFY6_xRo8vvLyv0MN3cAsrq4GU7vE3ex5i3tvm8DRgcKwsslyUWqSVMtduvyP4I1sRmnOUJjzW8gPYM4Gjn8O0JyWsRx21BRwD2aALjpaWZ_dZeZnT25iKI_t7vSgsHvBBqcQOe8Tvpv6/s400/HOW+TO+SELL+A+HOUSE.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="310" /></a></div>
Hey y'all!<br />
I have great news! The morning after I wrote last week's <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2016/06/house-selling-updates.html">post</a>, we got an offer on our home and it is now under contract! Thank you for all of your well wishes and encouragement. I truly appreciate it so much! If you've been following along, you know that things have been a little crazy, with us buying our next fixer upper and selling our current house all in just a few short weeks.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
After posting this picture and announcing our house was for sale last week, I got a lot of questions. Several of you asked why we would work so hard on this house and finally finish it, only to sell it a year later. Well, I never talked about any of our long term plans on the blog, simply because I didn't know how things would work out, and also because even though we always knew we would sell this home, we didn't have a strict timeline in mind. But, after Ava was born (and after we got through the 6 months of colic) and the house was finished, it just felt like the right time to move forward with our plan. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUJZPJY4JcKKmyiP1LgKyq4xRQ4rUNFMF3t6MxOpr5Ir-W2poaB24VT03r1x1BZJwXBj6AgrxPXsqDjePyJS9KvhX8Y9YcNNoTnh1a1MWKHLe0-_pp-a-O1JVBcFLRCG4hyphenhyphen6jxc4V8CrI/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUJZPJY4JcKKmyiP1LgKyq4xRQ4rUNFMF3t6MxOpr5Ir-W2poaB24VT03r1x1BZJwXBj6AgrxPXsqDjePyJS9KvhX8Y9YcNNoTnh1a1MWKHLe0-_pp-a-O1JVBcFLRCG4hyphenhyphen6jxc4V8CrI/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
A little backstory. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
When we first bought this house 6 years ago, we knew it wasn't our forever home. It was our first home. It was the only home we could afford at the time, unless we wanted something a lot smaller with no yard. It was straight from the 1970's and totally outdated, but we were able to purchase it for really cheap. And I mean REALLY cheap. It had so much potential and I knew that we could make it something special over time, really enjoy living in it for awhile, and then hopefully sell it for a profit. I'm not really sure why I thought that, as I had never done any sort of renovating before, and I knew nothing about real estate, but I'm glad I believed in us and this house.<br />
<br />
There were honestly times over the past 6 years where I felt like I had bitten off more than I could chew, but we persevered through it and eventually finished what I had envisioned for this home all along.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">So, earlier this year, Jesse and I began to feel like it was time to move on. We began actively looking for our next project, something with tons of potential that needed a lot of work. Basically, we were looking for another fixer upper in a different area of Knoxville, closer to my family. It took us almost 6 months of searching, but eventually w</span><span style="text-align: start;">e ended up finding one in our dream location (on 5 acres!!) and purchased it. As soon as we had our new house under contract, we listed our current house for sale. There was immediately a lot of interest in our home, and it was a crazy week with 2-3 showings a day, and by the end of the week, the house was under contract, for nearly double what we purchased it for 6 years ago. So, I know it seems like a crazy thing to do, to work so hard on your home only to sell it, but it just made sense for our family, both financially and emotionally, and we are really excited to move on to the next chapter of our story. </span><br />
<span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: start;">Our next fixer upper needs a lot of work. I'll be doing things I've never done before, like kitchen and bathroom renovations, and I'm excited. It's probably going to be really ugly for awhile, and I can almost guarantee I'm going to screw things up on occasion, but I plan to take you guys along for the ride. Sometimes that's hard to do because people can be absolutely brutal when you share the ugly stuff, but screw the trolls, let's just enjoy the journey, ugly and all. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Moving on with the story....I've never shared the exterior of our house before on the blog, mostly for privacy reasons, but we're moving soon, so feast your eyes on this terror.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I think this picture is from 2010, the day we moved in.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZw67ob9bxPnMCLGtoSaq7_GrdDy_gihQCwNFUCHdgOXv0THLGua4X-0V66npwBZTogs7VhZSJiQeqkbo-_MHCagZG6FdAS8NM30QEnQI50369vXPQsPBIBcIZZG4bPTe_8XrjRAQ40g2B/s1600/before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZw67ob9bxPnMCLGtoSaq7_GrdDy_gihQCwNFUCHdgOXv0THLGua4X-0V66npwBZTogs7VhZSJiQeqkbo-_MHCagZG6FdAS8NM30QEnQI50369vXPQsPBIBcIZZG4bPTe_8XrjRAQ40g2B/s640/before.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
When we first bought the house back in 2010, it had been on the market for over a year and had sat in foreclosure for years prior to that. So, it probably hadn't been occupied for 3-5 years. And you could tell. We definitely had our work cut out for us.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And here it is today, 2016, right before we listed it for sale a week ago. I'm pretty thrilled with how much better it looks.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYcCbp6KDSjFfCNGn7aS0s9kAUqzlc9M9d57B-C0VUMV8_cj7h7f4TI-6r63Hf7bJBFXhusila30cnGUU9pIvTN-HK8cYww0uR1nn2Kw-DChVEGssT4C1gdr7P6Q56fspYhNld7GnHkc2x/s1600/exterior+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYcCbp6KDSjFfCNGn7aS0s9kAUqzlc9M9d57B-C0VUMV8_cj7h7f4TI-6r63Hf7bJBFXhusila30cnGUU9pIvTN-HK8cYww0uR1nn2Kw-DChVEGssT4C1gdr7P6Q56fspYhNld7GnHkc2x/s640/exterior+2.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We didn't do a lot to the exterior, but we did just enough to freshen it up and make it look a little more updated (without having to spend tons of money). We gave the exterior a fresh coat of paint (Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray), painted the trim white, and painted the front door (Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze). We updated all of the lighting, stained the deck to match the house, and replaced the garage doors (The old garage doors didn't work for the first 4.5 years we lived here, and let me just tell you, best money I ever spent on this house...the luxury of being able to push a button and drive your car into your car-room!!!! I had no idea!!! Is this what the fancy people are doing?!?! Why did no one tell me?!!?). The landscaping was in really bad shape when we first moved in, but over time Jesse obsessed over our grass until it became a beautiful cushiony grass pillow. Not sure he really nailed it with the bushes, but whatever, he gets a million man points for spending so much time out in the hot sun, loving on our little yard.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLaz3uV90dgQcP8x4lYQT_Pz0uNioPiQPWWmT2b2nxFNP6Zky4zjnx0Ir2lQhnDQCOvztVpxVds93q0H32j0JHk556ZfG6Q9KVhyphenhyphenfGNxI9S6X9XKNkWJ7Ash_DtGT1aX33ANTKC9lqwjZ/s1600/exterior+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLaz3uV90dgQcP8x4lYQT_Pz0uNioPiQPWWmT2b2nxFNP6Zky4zjnx0Ir2lQhnDQCOvztVpxVds93q0H32j0JHk556ZfG6Q9KVhyphenhyphenfGNxI9S6X9XKNkWJ7Ash_DtGT1aX33ANTKC9lqwjZ/s640/exterior+3.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So, that's the exterior. We've spent a lot of time in the yard with Ava recently, just crawling around in the grass and enjoying all of our hard work, and I will definitely miss spending time out here. I'm so excited to pass this beauty on to the next family. I hope they will enjoy it as much as we did.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviJkHIBmYxh_rH_xtEL6j1Z_wZWWxB9Ixn9elhtdhaodJozqVfUo__-lYdtDIvx4ce680gUG1mJVIzOmaw1HHPTTn0Eo0ZW9Dcu91J952NWiigRAvmEZF7Mh4aeyA9fDRGF6zYs3-EUyy/s1600/13240674_10103846074637485_5678324814698704192_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviJkHIBmYxh_rH_xtEL6j1Z_wZWWxB9Ixn9elhtdhaodJozqVfUo__-lYdtDIvx4ce680gUG1mJVIzOmaw1HHPTTn0Eo0ZW9Dcu91J952NWiigRAvmEZF7Mh4aeyA9fDRGF6zYs3-EUyy/s400/13240674_10103846074637485_5678324814698704192_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
And now, I'll show you guys the pictures of the interior that we used for our house listing. The pictures turned out really well, and the photographer used a much wider lens than I have, so I think this makes for a great final house tour of this house. You'll probably get a better sense of what the house really looks like, much better than I was ever able to provide you with!<br />
<br />
<br />
Dining room:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQGDlwrC_c3lVf5LQv4BLuSQOtkIs0zGGPnAynO1S0Ky_y3ZmAJcqNQk3vZnj8zVRGFCFT5t6iJ6sBa0BZ6MmWm4LWsByJ0PFJ2rmwPMpmzZdOT04lL2xRnPcgngcWuk2GMdoiWIbn7GT/s1600/DINING+ROOM+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQGDlwrC_c3lVf5LQv4BLuSQOtkIs0zGGPnAynO1S0Ky_y3ZmAJcqNQk3vZnj8zVRGFCFT5t6iJ6sBa0BZ6MmWm4LWsByJ0PFJ2rmwPMpmzZdOT04lL2xRnPcgngcWuk2GMdoiWIbn7GT/s640/DINING+ROOM+001.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQGDlwrC_c3lVf5LQv4BLuSQOtkIs0zGGPnAynO1S0Ky_y3ZmAJcqNQk3vZnj8zVRGFCFT5t6iJ6sBa0BZ6MmWm4LWsByJ0PFJ2rmwPMpmzZdOT04lL2xRnPcgngcWuk2GMdoiWIbn7GT/s1600/DINING+ROOM+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGc3NYJwLDmjn09NloG2ZPXHOpyp3hAMFUPmdv68Y-ZChlkTDrN_Xyi7kC_mZJmGplCAmpp4lwTfBlXUY-4IdDpfAbxrTPQZJbapxywYMKliXLXT2OSSCbtyoy4erj0S3NAvIEtsxbCq6/s1600/DINING+ROOM+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGc3NYJwLDmjn09NloG2ZPXHOpyp3hAMFUPmdv68Y-ZChlkTDrN_Xyi7kC_mZJmGplCAmpp4lwTfBlXUY-4IdDpfAbxrTPQZJbapxywYMKliXLXT2OSSCbtyoy4erj0S3NAvIEtsxbCq6/s640/DINING+ROOM+002.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjFsaJOS1JdJ1AAisnzZwXZMgz2TT4pFd73K3oyRO03uuu6PcyMPFmYls0PuMFBs-_7SHCS2hEBUmrzPlFXH1wfMuww-BaNYX3HwcHSgOPR7oAGt67X_5D7KeK7nrrhcVZpwvvLnNP5s1/s1600/DINING+ROOM+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjFsaJOS1JdJ1AAisnzZwXZMgz2TT4pFd73K3oyRO03uuu6PcyMPFmYls0PuMFBs-_7SHCS2hEBUmrzPlFXH1wfMuww-BaNYX3HwcHSgOPR7oAGt67X_5D7KeK7nrrhcVZpwvvLnNP5s1/s640/DINING+ROOM+004.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHyD0skhx-AkoAel64n14m1zAyvVpTRfWYaBQKO8-4576zZqm8d-VoZzNwJ_EDFAMWRR8SXMAFgLFcU6gCYKb7szBLDV2LcNUTZ6l64Rfwql9Puzk86xAGb-1za4VGcK1fJEs8rT0y6qh/s1600/DINING+ROOM+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHyD0skhx-AkoAel64n14m1zAyvVpTRfWYaBQKO8-4576zZqm8d-VoZzNwJ_EDFAMWRR8SXMAFgLFcU6gCYKb7szBLDV2LcNUTZ6l64Rfwql9Puzk86xAGb-1za4VGcK1fJEs8rT0y6qh/s640/DINING+ROOM+005.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtYRK7ZXiOrH54dzLqK2kfc6qS6UZKPUA_KznP-5RBQP6_sjaAzgIcbOEGjKfr4klxRAUaQVS7L47PBjnPtM8AerJBk8LM747XQ9G6nOwtyjVpCuYNH3jYBn2OMISdKpnzsnEQPrcHLaw/s1600/DINING+ROOM+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtYRK7ZXiOrH54dzLqK2kfc6qS6UZKPUA_KznP-5RBQP6_sjaAzgIcbOEGjKfr4klxRAUaQVS7L47PBjnPtM8AerJBk8LM747XQ9G6nOwtyjVpCuYNH3jYBn2OMISdKpnzsnEQPrcHLaw/s640/DINING+ROOM+006.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br />
Entryway:<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCro9h6DHwAebHfp4Os1LC5fs8QbXTTH-k2Kw4mFzdLpiSTd_92Qel0HlbLymDLKHBJUSEvye9XGYKM-RsQ4X_bI7R9xra3mhV9X_zrpOn__J1mCxfB27XBA-UBadpecUt5y2iUGqy6X9o/s1600/ENTRYWAY+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCro9h6DHwAebHfp4Os1LC5fs8QbXTTH-k2Kw4mFzdLpiSTd_92Qel0HlbLymDLKHBJUSEvye9XGYKM-RsQ4X_bI7R9xra3mhV9X_zrpOn__J1mCxfB27XBA-UBadpecUt5y2iUGqy6X9o/s640/ENTRYWAY+001.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Kitchen:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
I put out little bottles of sparkling water (I've never drank it in my life.), took all my bass fish magnets off the fridge (hehe), put a giant bowl of apples on the table, and opened a cookbook to a colorful page for the showings. I feel like the details make all the difference. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLp_C3E8RGL2UvoUPfQM3Y15hqR6ixJbDW4Dua3AuzFenrMbjiCyJ-NDtShWL5iY0VSNZB7bUQeBKb-t04GIKe0eFrGEM4JNTvFkI7aEZGq8kUAzDKduRPntpV24SiVXataRAjosvbegKj/s1600/KITCHEN+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLp_C3E8RGL2UvoUPfQM3Y15hqR6ixJbDW4Dua3AuzFenrMbjiCyJ-NDtShWL5iY0VSNZB7bUQeBKb-t04GIKe0eFrGEM4JNTvFkI7aEZGq8kUAzDKduRPntpV24SiVXataRAjosvbegKj/s640/KITCHEN+001.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2raOJQ0Q9R69OaJESOzKGS-0qeHIFltYRRXBmNg4dpTfAidb3xB7AibKsAKT2gFQfAO4URFroSNGSsrj3j7fH9Of-TYtogpCGk0Hoxyk2HERa0TbKQYyhJruPrM-pPlpXA9PsbZymVWbi/s1600/KITCHEN+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2raOJQ0Q9R69OaJESOzKGS-0qeHIFltYRRXBmNg4dpTfAidb3xB7AibKsAKT2gFQfAO4URFroSNGSsrj3j7fH9Of-TYtogpCGk0Hoxyk2HERa0TbKQYyhJruPrM-pPlpXA9PsbZymVWbi/s640/KITCHEN+002.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_5WKkAI4MZUQ85_y5Nl8Gz_behAhhk11VEpu3-zIZ-Zo09iHVBUshIyDF46tc1npAvZTgRS18zWjnMsIdjve-2tmNcqObM1CDMJOE-zXbfWXZAU2GMVRSchhXo1dF3ORVgjuUHc3FJL-/s1600/KITCHEN+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_5WKkAI4MZUQ85_y5Nl8Gz_behAhhk11VEpu3-zIZ-Zo09iHVBUshIyDF46tc1npAvZTgRS18zWjnMsIdjve-2tmNcqObM1CDMJOE-zXbfWXZAU2GMVRSchhXo1dF3ORVgjuUHc3FJL-/s640/KITCHEN+003.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br />
Living room:<br />
I got rid of most of my pink for the showings (and I won't be going back...it's a new day) and opted for more blues and greens around the house.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOyXit7G2BBJpOAGKqNoRsBVqeXlkqdXL9ioR5sKPMVSHo9qkCTRRN4hWw2lq2fIo-EENvqfXMNEvyQK7Svg4-sJKfFw_XcAeFZrj8GqCo16Ddt7bg0TYVREiv3vxxjhvJc8V2qKUItoA/s1600/LIVING+ROOM+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOyXit7G2BBJpOAGKqNoRsBVqeXlkqdXL9ioR5sKPMVSHo9qkCTRRN4hWw2lq2fIo-EENvqfXMNEvyQK7Svg4-sJKfFw_XcAeFZrj8GqCo16Ddt7bg0TYVREiv3vxxjhvJc8V2qKUItoA/s640/LIVING+ROOM+001.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2eBolnj694x8XqlicWTWWm-dDoDJY-nZwRt6_db8doC5wgrk5kX7w-3L3ai4RfyVCpg5pN7qi0nbpw7p8aMH0QiPZW-Qpv1QUQE2VJJKVjX_ShFuZelAjLfncK3tiUMpcHy2c1g9CjEhe/s1600/LIVING+ROOM+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2eBolnj694x8XqlicWTWWm-dDoDJY-nZwRt6_db8doC5wgrk5kX7w-3L3ai4RfyVCpg5pN7qi0nbpw7p8aMH0QiPZW-Qpv1QUQE2VJJKVjX_ShFuZelAjLfncK3tiUMpcHy2c1g9CjEhe/s640/LIVING+ROOM+002.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLN5bzLSbbYJ1zrROhtyvjGfGIoudzjOTj5G1xO-8rU1F307LIXfGflMlk3Q2UM2w6momgvaD-pXiXNy-oL9wukp_jFvOhcpX8iUhWU3dMQIl6fFNYO2Q7XruUO9Ak5fE2dXxf4QO7cZ-V/s1600/LIVING+ROOM+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLN5bzLSbbYJ1zrROhtyvjGfGIoudzjOTj5G1xO-8rU1F307LIXfGflMlk3Q2UM2w6momgvaD-pXiXNy-oL9wukp_jFvOhcpX8iUhWU3dMQIl6fFNYO2Q7XruUO9Ak5fE2dXxf4QO7cZ-V/s640/LIVING+ROOM+003.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Guest bathroom:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbQnPFRVwY17vYSV4r_Zk9LX6-e3Lwn2FY1ag5bN47SMgYHAUm9KAs3NVNyp0V0Vcr8zeIZ2QZEHa_zvbr8esXRs5s8bDuQgy17adgym-XBkZijKUBYjGx2g8m_sGCbbGzOSIWZ3FQdu0/s1600/GUEST+BATHROOM+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbQnPFRVwY17vYSV4r_Zk9LX6-e3Lwn2FY1ag5bN47SMgYHAUm9KAs3NVNyp0V0Vcr8zeIZ2QZEHa_zvbr8esXRs5s8bDuQgy17adgym-XBkZijKUBYjGx2g8m_sGCbbGzOSIWZ3FQdu0/s640/GUEST+BATHROOM+001.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsf3FSCAnlFaUhjWZ3QUxaMZwZMzWG4lvIMKy2ZbEkHNnag0FvLpHtFAixdi_Fgh2epmCnNtrBNAs3dQgRicQPA6NUpn6yGGEWAA-WyDmtXFCCF_-QJWyNvbKb2R8TkZ7HXC0EM_KZmP4/s1600/GUEST+BATHROOM+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsf3FSCAnlFaUhjWZ3QUxaMZwZMzWG4lvIMKy2ZbEkHNnag0FvLpHtFAixdi_Fgh2epmCnNtrBNAs3dQgRicQPA6NUpn6yGGEWAA-WyDmtXFCCF_-QJWyNvbKb2R8TkZ7HXC0EM_KZmP4/s640/GUEST+BATHROOM+002.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Since we moved Ava's crib back into our bedroom long, long ago, we staged her nursery as a bedroom (with two air mattresses and some extra bedding I had on hand), so that people could see this room set up as a bedroom. It took me about an hour, but I really think it helped the house show a lot better than if I had just left all of her baby junk and toys laying on the ground (like it is in real life). I mean, if they opened the closet, they still got to see the complete baby gear debauchery, but hey, a girl can only do so much.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9c2ypD2fQd1eYR78nUJZhmO1cZLbQTGLhu2QkOhxHgBLQSSniHQBuvYpAC92DLxFSHR9kMQuW71jhEYAiEM69f-9TRnhjaRA9zRS4DgWKwu8dQXdcdcY-lgd0s_mXDeDezXERvNmGIK_/s1600/GUEST+BEDROOM+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img alt="" border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9c2ypD2fQd1eYR78nUJZhmO1cZLbQTGLhu2QkOhxHgBLQSSniHQBuvYpAC92DLxFSHR9kMQuW71jhEYAiEM69f-9TRnhjaRA9zRS4DgWKwu8dQXdcdcY-lgd0s_mXDeDezXERvNmGIK_/s640/GUEST+BEDROOM+001.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70rf1VbMOEcBGFadq94jbvNg8ZHF42xmiuI1sfKd9TTblat00Z0-ouowLDi_8QHRh7Ch-crxwKKvU3jiJ4SLp3bcEV98tsOwQlg6QlL4_oq8cSJ5pSAkg-Ugos_XtoGKmrn-s5tMTv9-b/s1600/GUEST+BEDROOM+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70rf1VbMOEcBGFadq94jbvNg8ZHF42xmiuI1sfKd9TTblat00Z0-ouowLDi_8QHRh7Ch-crxwKKvU3jiJ4SLp3bcEV98tsOwQlg6QlL4_oq8cSJ5pSAkg-Ugos_XtoGKmrn-s5tMTv9-b/s640/GUEST+BEDROOM+002.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Office:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV6deW7_ASpRDRJZD48O34WxfhPkV_ZGoIEy9yD3cUMgJ0TT9eFwzH-rTdfIXQiIhMga8UZ1gdWANYuMlwLSaetpIZyvR99ltPKuqBRx-7wo-ztuTcFR_YY957TyZ_ABMQR_a-DbP2dzW2/s1600/OFFICE+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV6deW7_ASpRDRJZD48O34WxfhPkV_ZGoIEy9yD3cUMgJ0TT9eFwzH-rTdfIXQiIhMga8UZ1gdWANYuMlwLSaetpIZyvR99ltPKuqBRx-7wo-ztuTcFR_YY957TyZ_ABMQR_a-DbP2dzW2/s640/OFFICE+001.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="425" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
I love how well the photographer captured the master bedroom. You guys have probably seen this bedroom a hundred times on this blog, but I've never been able to capture it this accurately. I will miss this room so much. Our new master bedroom is about 1/3 of this size, but you can't have everything, girl.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkulpNfIs_O6IMqMu4RCPfmuWoEIt72uCh9-tyD4MflUddny7ZPnDgKWAxdr9fze-3VdMOzmaVLaCp7bLtHsmvdHfqjNTCE3Sg-h2_LgKOITkEnwsllEvx3vLZNZdboHV0Yipw5FzwpeXX/s1600/MASTER+BEDROOM+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkulpNfIs_O6IMqMu4RCPfmuWoEIt72uCh9-tyD4MflUddny7ZPnDgKWAxdr9fze-3VdMOzmaVLaCp7bLtHsmvdHfqjNTCE3Sg-h2_LgKOITkEnwsllEvx3vLZNZdboHV0Yipw5FzwpeXX/s640/MASTER+BEDROOM+005.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNtGrJ5DjGFQERBxQfwRrLqUEcxb_n57xvFEe6TqOm8E92Dy0tfysbvNCCtYGJ_h3zJf4hic7EAnLVvru64VwCpskA8yiD5KEudymtRbM4y_u3jBuZzunLOcTe-_fDVmV0uhJtoZBBdzW9/s1600/MASTER+BEDROOM+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNtGrJ5DjGFQERBxQfwRrLqUEcxb_n57xvFEe6TqOm8E92Dy0tfysbvNCCtYGJ_h3zJf4hic7EAnLVvru64VwCpskA8yiD5KEudymtRbM4y_u3jBuZzunLOcTe-_fDVmV0uhJtoZBBdzW9/s640/MASTER+BEDROOM+002.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a><br />
<br />
I set up the little side room with a loveseat and styled it up with whatever I could find in the house, and I seriously got kinda mad at myself bc it turned into a cute, functional little space and I was like WHY did I never do this for the 6 years we lived here!? Such is life.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5EVrCtP0IHTmCzPrP3CEVL0uHqs-708QzjF6kXDukHkaA0lq0GSM0I26BJZAeRAyE3swFXtWnAo7KMRjsxv_fc7KOeQdyKoiLjUZ_U_Re4SqMj9-2GMfs6prUP5k99CQRZsFD9vBCwWa/s1600/MASTER+BEDROOM+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5EVrCtP0IHTmCzPrP3CEVL0uHqs-708QzjF6kXDukHkaA0lq0GSM0I26BJZAeRAyE3swFXtWnAo7KMRjsxv_fc7KOeQdyKoiLjUZ_U_Re4SqMj9-2GMfs6prUP5k99CQRZsFD9vBCwWa/s640/MASTER+BEDROOM+001.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLuSa59YVsGjH_ioufI7_p6N104c6H29sT0xX9FV6DhbQTxJYytvAbgy5v7WiLpjvrFsIjk__ocR4cWXkEnG4se_k96XNXOyZFk3ikxfzJVYvWo7R1i2BYeHIxPr5kLa6KcRFYUq97SY7f/s1600/MASTER+BEDROOM+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLuSa59YVsGjH_ioufI7_p6N104c6H29sT0xX9FV6DhbQTxJYytvAbgy5v7WiLpjvrFsIjk__ocR4cWXkEnG4se_k96XNXOyZFk3ikxfzJVYvWo7R1i2BYeHIxPr5kLa6KcRFYUq97SY7f/s640/MASTER+BEDROOM+003.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wir6FoE9Yu5yvmLqII2sj_JNsUSdgxkm4LSgCT9mz776UrDVolfR95HMbl2La6EPXFzLr7azrhrRH21l_sbhAAuC7luI0EUgkw7QcNk86LX4_beWiruZxKzZn7Iobv0PvI54gTVkKhFc/s1600/MASTER+BEDROOM+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wir6FoE9Yu5yvmLqII2sj_JNsUSdgxkm4LSgCT9mz776UrDVolfR95HMbl2La6EPXFzLr7azrhrRH21l_sbhAAuC7luI0EUgkw7QcNk86LX4_beWiruZxKzZn7Iobv0PvI54gTVkKhFc/s640/MASTER+BEDROOM+006.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br />
There's the side room. First time it's ever been photographed well on my blog. This was the original master bedroom for this house, but they built on that huge addition back in the 80's. I never did get around to replacing that fan.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xxNKbu0L8RkFNJB8-oqEEUy52g2b8j-e8DRaTNsS1cB8LV3G772YEuw6GyXUubOAUaAwGnVAxABT0ilNy39fqss4mvt-SV6VAsJkL132LYmSNiTovalkEb6JUmDVEnRgsaNh8CNfkZW2/s1600/MASTER+BEDROOM+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xxNKbu0L8RkFNJB8-oqEEUy52g2b8j-e8DRaTNsS1cB8LV3G772YEuw6GyXUubOAUaAwGnVAxABT0ilNy39fqss4mvt-SV6VAsJkL132LYmSNiTovalkEb6JUmDVEnRgsaNh8CNfkZW2/s640/MASTER+BEDROOM+007.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br />
A peek into Ava's 'room'. Turns out that little nook in our bedroom served a great purpose afterall!<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI64F7I_KqQ2yTckxVTmi0Zxehci-5EZggyFaudkgeYTkKFcfAdb6eJ_beZlWJKFyArXEchl1K7hSi0VP5rtaUR2dwJekwV8Au8Of07i0bahDGDtgKAjcb8ogpX32VDoEhXvy5G7qFDKpg/s1600/MASTER+BEDROOM+NURSERY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI64F7I_KqQ2yTckxVTmi0Zxehci-5EZggyFaudkgeYTkKFcfAdb6eJ_beZlWJKFyArXEchl1K7hSi0VP5rtaUR2dwJekwV8Au8Of07i0bahDGDtgKAjcb8ogpX32VDoEhXvy5G7qFDKpg/s640/MASTER+BEDROOM+NURSERY.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Master bathroom:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF68AkeT2yVvqn8AQHqXjmL3jA_mWp7I_WqtFl8tIvJUTGAvZbkc8Mv_jviYnR_R_fFSE7fwbKbhdjeBdYajQiTWBHM2D_Nwf-4emIwReOEE3IfxNMnv2QNWbjKTCpDqZpgixj0kDzCkb8/s1600/MASTER+BATHROOM+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF68AkeT2yVvqn8AQHqXjmL3jA_mWp7I_WqtFl8tIvJUTGAvZbkc8Mv_jviYnR_R_fFSE7fwbKbhdjeBdYajQiTWBHM2D_Nwf-4emIwReOEE3IfxNMnv2QNWbjKTCpDqZpgixj0kDzCkb8/s640/MASTER+BATHROOM+002.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br />
Entryway down into the basement living room:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEFPng_G278AwwhPVNqqcXBgAVH9JQnABjzanL53wyYCFFMWad8NLimm6XSF2gwqY8AkdXlgEr_Gk5AOe3_7PsdDYo87iBM5O1fzjT1x5IQTzrsm6fZFwyLnfTvzNXB2nCtc0CIUcTPLH/s1600/BASEMENT+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEFPng_G278AwwhPVNqqcXBgAVH9JQnABjzanL53wyYCFFMWad8NLimm6XSF2gwqY8AkdXlgEr_Gk5AOe3_7PsdDYo87iBM5O1fzjT1x5IQTzrsm6fZFwyLnfTvzNXB2nCtc0CIUcTPLH/s640/BASEMENT+004.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Basement living room:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWduGdWUKT073BowO4GhcPPSY0bz4wIAsPCvgMJ2L_vd9knvFkc_1KYl7fGwWB-Pwb4csx1VW-Mn9J_XgO63-LcbgVWqu9P_wl3WVBLKkvTJdXB1qfbTCZX85FOaIAdaVXklTbaGAZhIq/s1600/BASEMENT+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWduGdWUKT073BowO4GhcPPSY0bz4wIAsPCvgMJ2L_vd9knvFkc_1KYl7fGwWB-Pwb4csx1VW-Mn9J_XgO63-LcbgVWqu9P_wl3WVBLKkvTJdXB1qfbTCZX85FOaIAdaVXklTbaGAZhIq/s640/BASEMENT+003.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Basement bathroom:</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ab3FW34HGVWQ59O0Lr0E7SH3VeXSEca5tHhp9j1iOjYVh6AodDXSdE9Hpq8nVdoL0075oO2rc5fypPQKRtC_ma6rC8XAX_Jrynz34FZCdu_sOu9n99-MFkTD8RXpJbvQ894dnCLkKJd4/s1600/BASEMENT+BATHROOM+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ab3FW34HGVWQ59O0Lr0E7SH3VeXSEca5tHhp9j1iOjYVh6AodDXSdE9Hpq8nVdoL0075oO2rc5fypPQKRtC_ma6rC8XAX_Jrynz34FZCdu_sOu9n99-MFkTD8RXpJbvQ894dnCLkKJd4/s640/BASEMENT+BATHROOM+003.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Basement bedroom:</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpBjiXqOugBBa0QR-SzJ1ExTpyT4nZ-HpS7JVaz1s3_t_QmfrALl-jpdGK8RS-L-xFjYqSBbQHumTdh67ea-Etj3pwbEIFc8LcN6y9bhJjtuO0NeHg33aSDvDwdqjaw773Ht9AekGeH27/s1600/BASEMENT+MASTER+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpBjiXqOugBBa0QR-SzJ1ExTpyT4nZ-HpS7JVaz1s3_t_QmfrALl-jpdGK8RS-L-xFjYqSBbQHumTdh67ea-Etj3pwbEIFc8LcN6y9bhJjtuO0NeHg33aSDvDwdqjaw773Ht9AekGeH27/s640/BASEMENT+MASTER+001.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKQ9bz966tbJ4AiYx1NLqeMlBn3Te4xXYKnzl9pGGFnap7BtCcYnNYIBwrOUVXKl82QbPbT5tfSjZEhDkWkW8EFku098EodSmt1vljfKlKluAKk6HOapbCFsycGWI80vd-alAn5xt4eRK/s1600/BASEMENT+MASTER+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKQ9bz966tbJ4AiYx1NLqeMlBn3Te4xXYKnzl9pGGFnap7BtCcYnNYIBwrOUVXKl82QbPbT5tfSjZEhDkWkW8EFku098EodSmt1vljfKlKluAKk6HOapbCFsycGWI80vd-alAn5xt4eRK/s640/BASEMENT+MASTER+002.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="570" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
And that, friends, is the final house tour of this house we've loved so much for the past 6 years. I'm pretty proud of our work here and I'm so thankful that I got to share it with all of y'all on this blog. It's been a really amazing part of my life.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
In other news, Ava turns one tomorrow!!! We will be taking her to do her favorite activity, swimming, and I bought her a little cake to smash her hands around in. :)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Here are a couple pics from Father's day. Jesse wanted to spend the day at the lake, and so we did. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkmM-1-cB6HGHrOPz0MgQfatK0Pt9VViVBFl05MtHZZW7ZiJUhpHhZ3wv-C4_VpuxZGMaH6eWZypKfyy6XorcfI8hcikDjLf-kFnstvRU81fKpttVzqQv6I8wm74BMEXcu_C24-HXluYXt/s1600/13507017_10103935270298665_3770664274463181934_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkmM-1-cB6HGHrOPz0MgQfatK0Pt9VViVBFl05MtHZZW7ZiJUhpHhZ3wv-C4_VpuxZGMaH6eWZypKfyy6XorcfI8hcikDjLf-kFnstvRU81fKpttVzqQv6I8wm74BMEXcu_C24-HXluYXt/s400/13507017_10103935270298665_3770664274463181934_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We lasted about 30 minutes and ended up at a lakeside restaurant, but it was still an amazing day. Splashing around in the shallow end (and digging in the sand) with her dad by her side is Ava's favorite activity, and Jesse seems to enjoy it, too. :)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0nj-rjqX7sHUAvULBtHLoBFWtACl1bBi1UoqkfikgTBTOoOJ-Vngb0M8wEOjhmQadN_4sagmW6PBWGy89YaVuaSKjPhK_dM-405IYgYmmjy3X4fhyFcVyKry_oq07nKh32rj3EBmGiKB/s1600/ava+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0nj-rjqX7sHUAvULBtHLoBFWtACl1bBi1UoqkfikgTBTOoOJ-Vngb0M8wEOjhmQadN_4sagmW6PBWGy89YaVuaSKjPhK_dM-405IYgYmmjy3X4fhyFcVyKry_oq07nKh32rj3EBmGiKB/s400/ava+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Thanks for being here, y'all. We'll be closing on our new house early next week and hopefully closing the sale on our current house in just a few weeks. So, wish us luck! Time to find some movers. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
P.S. Because I can only fit so much in one post, if you want to see the before pics of the house, go to <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/p/our-house.html">this post</a>.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
'Til next time.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoiEkGcPxJiAsj2X-5M6xj8MFEz9Cad34E6LmI53qBOwnRA072DSHTifOS9qBy_ejtyLyXhMzVlShPFyjhJ0sGPdhww55WlQtoZtxxGh73whIXfbtyWsX1W2Y5oBOtS6Mw1J7o5tzKmVbw/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoiEkGcPxJiAsj2X-5M6xj8MFEz9Cad34E6LmI53qBOwnRA072DSHTifOS9qBy_ejtyLyXhMzVlShPFyjhJ0sGPdhww55WlQtoZtxxGh73whIXfbtyWsX1W2Y5oBOtS6Mw1J7o5tzKmVbw/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VSST7O1zlVbyHqbl-4qL895drnwdBGrlolFOqMvuEWod3I8QtPnmb_dKwV6JzOhQJKdHx4Gfa4CGSEA5ljDKnLaxM4I-2zCIpiAbyPQsMfTTALfX8bggPS-VznI9nzOfrRvhEiHIrv_t/s1600/HOW+TO+SELL+A+HOUSE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VSST7O1zlVbyHqbl-4qL895drnwdBGrlolFOqMvuEWod3I8QtPnmb_dKwV6JzOhQJKdHx4Gfa4CGSEA5ljDKnLaxM4I-2zCIpiAbyPQsMfTTALfX8bggPS-VznI9nzOfrRvhEiHIrv_t/s640/HOW+TO+SELL+A+HOUSE.jpg" title="How We Sold Our House in a Week (and the final house tour)!" width="496" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<center>
</center>
<center>
</center>
<center>
Follow my blog with<br /><a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3384224/?claim=jkea24f9wt7"><img align="middle" alt="bloglovin' photo BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii634/livelovediy/BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" width="30%" /></a></center>
<br />
<center>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.image-maps.com/m/private/7229/5712-LiveLoveDIYSOCIAL_zps2f8f6f4a.jpg" height="45" id="Image-Maps-Com-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" usemap="#image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" width="300" /><map id="ImageMapsCom-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" name="image-maps-2014-02-16-213014"><area alt="pinterest" coords="43,0,84,43" href="http://www.pinterest.com/livelovediy/" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Pinterest"></area><area alt="facebook" coords="88,1,127,42" href="https://www.facebook.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Facebook"></area><area alt="instagram" coords="132,1,173,42" href="http://instagram.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Instagram"></area><area alt="twitter" coords="177,0,219,41" href="https://twitter.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Twitter"></area><area alt="Image Map" coords="298,43,300,45" href="http://www.image-maps.com/index.php?aff=mapped_users_7229" shape="rect" title="Image Map"></area></map><form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=livelovediy/PtTE', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 0px solid #ccc; padding: 0px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small;">Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email!</span></b><br />
Enter your email address:<br />
<input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br />
<input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form>
</center>
LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com53tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-62127360058609004652016-06-16T21:06:00.000-04:002016-06-16T21:06:15.479-04:00House selling updates!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VnUKneJZWwOQ-mGrU8XaDIQ5gJSBzcQ_uBANkXkeAG0KO9BEC4uRo1888Gp-zGm3zT3QhlrMXFMlity37bpGQaxI8KBtKL99n4bsSSiYPEpp3Gai3l_LoC5y2FGth4niKd0zFY6ptoG2/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VnUKneJZWwOQ-mGrU8XaDIQ5gJSBzcQ_uBANkXkeAG0KO9BEC4uRo1888Gp-zGm3zT3QhlrMXFMlity37bpGQaxI8KBtKL99n4bsSSiYPEpp3Gai3l_LoC5y2FGth4niKd0zFY6ptoG2/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hey ya'll! Thank you guys so much for all of your encouraging words on last week's <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2016/06/i-have-some-big-news.html">post</a> and on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/livelovediy">IG</a> regarding our move.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm so excited. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And, it's been an absolutely crazy week. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our house has been on the market for 6 days now and we've had 2-3 showings almost every day. Since Jesse and I both work from home (and Ava 'toddles' at home), we all have to pack up and get out of the house...sometimes for 4-6 hour stretches. There are worse things to have to deal with in this life, but omg did I walk around Target for a really long time today. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We can only go to the park so much when it's 95 degrees outside. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ava and I are a very pale duo.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, yeah, lots of driving around, lots of store-perusing, lots of walks, we went to a used book store and got Ava some books. We also went downtown yesterday and met my mom for a belated birthday lunch (my 33rd bday was on Monday).</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpkCx4xI3otsQXxlzB3qLTkPGI3ov1KNmaAbp-5mmafL5-7QtmzegLKQgXhfDuQSFKAmADEltffc8VEr3g__f2x5aXAp8ccGEadPil-J_un3iY4r897WNFestjh9vWJNDItqIRmdOqPcX/s1600/13450856_10103923795838575_3528883592859976241_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpkCx4xI3otsQXxlzB3qLTkPGI3ov1KNmaAbp-5mmafL5-7QtmzegLKQgXhfDuQSFKAmADEltffc8VEr3g__f2x5aXAp8ccGEadPil-J_un3iY4r897WNFestjh9vWJNDItqIRmdOqPcX/s400/13450856_10103923795838575_3528883592859976241_n.jpg" width="383" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I love this picture of Ava, just eating her Cheerios and watching us talk, enjoying the breeze in her hairs.</span></i></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzGUM05ptn2RaQrEo0wCvFs57IAgPvwpOHSYqlHd0_yxKsWb-bsA5-uscUqh5a-SwQyzjEs6NNpCpvCWICy4E6bo90AvmLAQ5maj_K2-bU72vTDxrP9IMm_iGjXovVEvMudRa-cjVcDp0/s1600/13435505_10103919937390935_4612663970415994646_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzGUM05ptn2RaQrEo0wCvFs57IAgPvwpOHSYqlHd0_yxKsWb-bsA5-uscUqh5a-SwQyzjEs6NNpCpvCWICy4E6bo90AvmLAQ5maj_K2-bU72vTDxrP9IMm_iGjXovVEvMudRa-cjVcDp0/s400/13435505_10103919937390935_4612663970415994646_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And Jesse and I were even able to get a little adult time on my birthday, so yay!!! </span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's way too hot to be in the bathroom with a round brush and blowdryer, and I feel like most days I look as if I've been dipped in a deep fryer, </span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">so let this picture live on in eternity. </span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But, anyway, the house hasn't sold yet. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I could write a million more things after that sentence, in a million different directions, but I've deleted every attempt at doing so.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let's just see how it pans out, and then we'll talk. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Fingers crossed that by the time I write my next post I will have a juicier scoop for you. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It looks as though we will close on our new fixer upper sometime late next week, so I'm hoping to have some 'before' pictures of the new house for you guys soon. I'm so excited to close and get in there. I don't think we'll be doing any major renovations yet until our current house sells, but I still might get in there and do some painting and planning...you know. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I mean, I have a baby, and that makes absolutely zero logistical sense, especially since we'll still be living in our current home until it sells, but in my mind's eye, I'm all up in that new home, staying up all night, going crazy with a paintbrush.</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'll keep you guys posted. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">xo,</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2T4ForA3E3xMLjQDhAPqbTGjMM4ZCjyKN42ebytbgWNJ4Ky_HsDzZjKQMtQmFtaMBY3ruSCs13lrGPKYTZduTPJ0x1Jpu_cFIV9VENCLhJUFX4_tt6EH9EFq8Z27iAbvuGvSYxBEYHrKK/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2T4ForA3E3xMLjQDhAPqbTGjMM4ZCjyKN42ebytbgWNJ4Ky_HsDzZjKQMtQmFtaMBY3ruSCs13lrGPKYTZduTPJ0x1Jpu_cFIV9VENCLhJUFX4_tt6EH9EFq8Z27iAbvuGvSYxBEYHrKK/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<center>
</center>
<center>
</center>
<center>
Follow my blog with<br /><a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3384224/?claim=jkea24f9wt7"><img align="middle" alt="bloglovin' photo BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii634/livelovediy/BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" width="30%" /></a></center>
<br />
<center>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.image-maps.com/m/private/7229/5712-LiveLoveDIYSOCIAL_zps2f8f6f4a.jpg" height="45" id="Image-Maps-Com-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" usemap="#image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" width="300" /><map id="ImageMapsCom-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" name="image-maps-2014-02-16-213014"><area alt="pinterest" coords="43,0,84,43" href="http://www.pinterest.com/livelovediy/" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Pinterest"></area><area alt="facebook" coords="88,1,127,42" href="https://www.facebook.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Facebook"></area><area alt="instagram" coords="132,1,173,42" href="http://instagram.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Instagram"></area><area alt="twitter" coords="177,0,219,41" href="https://twitter.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Twitter"></area><area alt="Image Map" coords="298,43,300,45" href="http://www.image-maps.com/index.php?aff=mapped_users_7229" shape="rect" title="Image Map"></area></map><form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=livelovediy/PtTE', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 0px solid #ccc; padding: 0px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small;">Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email!</span></b><br />
Enter your email address:<br />
<input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br />
<input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form>
</center>
LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-5471218788041774092016-06-10T22:17:00.001-04:002016-06-10T23:07:29.647-04:00I have some big news!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZguQFm2XgL689hGASQ_kkpv3N1uIgpQ2P6CS-TGuGSgHcDLlTbjvG2rBicwltjN86kztUp7g6wFsGhv7z4uuaA3kVzCp_kzqMsS7ZfO15IKy3iAOyE6yYFHcbtSiVhohW9Bx_MsmXIcl/s1600/13267959_10103874179205705_7442491930037542330_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZguQFm2XgL689hGASQ_kkpv3N1uIgpQ2P6CS-TGuGSgHcDLlTbjvG2rBicwltjN86kztUp7g6wFsGhv7z4uuaA3kVzCp_kzqMsS7ZfO15IKy3iAOyE6yYFHcbtSiVhohW9Bx_MsmXIcl/s400/13267959_10103874179205705_7442491930037542330_n.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hey ya'll. I have some exciting news. There's so much going on to tell you guys about. We'll get to the big stuff in a minute. But, first, Ava turns a year old on June 23rd and I can barely believe it. Who knew you could love another person so intensely?! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>And we can't even conversate yet! </i></span><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although she does say 'TeeTee' (Tootie), dada, ball, and duck. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(Priorities, obviously.)</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We took Ava on her first airplane ride two weeks ago. We went to Utah for our niece's graduation. Ava looked so cute (in the baby carrier situation, seen below) that it felt like walking through the airport as a celebrity (Or so Jesse said. I wouldn't know as everyone was staring at Jesse). The airplane adventure really started out so well, us giggling over how ridiculous she looked in the baby bjorn and feeling like we could totally pull off this traveling with spirited baby thing.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And then, by the time we were about to land in Denver, Ava had cried through about 2/3 of the trip, and we had experienced the most turbulent plane ride of our lives. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And as if that wasn't fun enough, as we were about to land, Ava projectile vomited three times into my black maxi dress. Three. There was barf in my purse, in my hair, in my flip flops...I exited the plane with a naked baby, holding my puke dress and trying to contain the disaster until we got to the bathroom.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There were about 100 people standing at the gate waiting to board the plane.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And then we had 30 minutes to catch our connecting flight to Salt Lake City.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was just such a special day, ya'll. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwODvMRSQpbNJt_QFR-YjD8862NiRuvwZXhF7_o9FBWqxPK_ZF4wL3HmTg5NPv6aAY99I4rYTWC5apsQaMUJxvsn33oMFCUCKaol_auraEWlqLH_e9ACevE3w5TNOxAgoCFvkgywICnHG/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwODvMRSQpbNJt_QFR-YjD8862NiRuvwZXhF7_o9FBWqxPK_ZF4wL3HmTg5NPv6aAY99I4rYTWC5apsQaMUJxvsn33oMFCUCKaol_auraEWlqLH_e9ACevE3w5TNOxAgoCFvkgywICnHG/s640/2.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">She's pretty cute though, right?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, Utah was beautiful. We had a really good time. Jesse's parents flew in from Florida, and it was great to hang out with everyone and let Ava crawl around and try to eat everything on Missy's floor (his sister that lives in Utah).</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZfvRY9Vw2gbTYs6gSaK5eVXAVMP24bbrTo6UNr6-qlo4FWQ0MeMp37sNw0XMoNIlmDqtHJmOg7cW20eshtTr0_uvMQB18UKNtUaHXfugdzPYyWI7qxQoZ52FUQG1-vkCCywh23itoV2c/s1600/13267930_10103882892748695_955526624676697192_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZfvRY9Vw2gbTYs6gSaK5eVXAVMP24bbrTo6UNr6-qlo4FWQ0MeMp37sNw0XMoNIlmDqtHJmOg7cW20eshtTr0_uvMQB18UKNtUaHXfugdzPYyWI7qxQoZ52FUQG1-vkCCywh23itoV2c/s400/13267930_10103882892748695_955526624676697192_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">All in all, a great time with family, very rejuvenating, even after the barf debacle. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Also, Ava did totally fine on the plane ride back. Although, if you've ever flown with a baby like mine, who just wants to crawl and move and explore people's shoes, you know that by the time you get off of a 3 hour flight, all you want to do is go home and play dead in your bed for 48 hours. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But, you can't, because you have a baby.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's intense, people.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But, omg, the love runs deep.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since we've been home it's been beautiful here, although really hot (but, I love that kinda weather) so we've been spending a lot of time outside, swimming in our 'above ground pool'. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Money can't buy you class. Elegance is learned, my friends.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSiflhFlYQ0niXhBdV6gOjYwd2wUy3vbS5PW3kgY-90-uydaT28WMme53urUSSghyphenhyphenufWak-U7k1bE-_J2mqbTZILPZ2_DYp41luNkMRV1huTfoBKR743CijtV0T3GJ8JAosauLArDgfdfi/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSiflhFlYQ0niXhBdV6gOjYwd2wUy3vbS5PW3kgY-90-uydaT28WMme53urUSSghyphenhyphenufWak-U7k1bE-_J2mqbTZILPZ2_DYp41luNkMRV1huTfoBKR743CijtV0T3GJ8JAosauLArDgfdfi/s640/3.jpg" width="512" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And as of today, we've been spending a lot of time sitting on patios and going for walks at the park because we have to get out of our house so that strangers can walk through it.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1gTgwExb8mLXwX3qb8x095sq7Jc04Qgw4dURA952LE912LhTcQaX46qIaQPYSWNjCiEeuY3JQR2kjlPSGaJ1ZglCdflJOtHTuES18QX1BtKc38AFESKGS7IOyMhTZfrqTe_tT7kK_WM1/s1600/13315697_10103911871220605_5378569558767026563_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1gTgwExb8mLXwX3qb8x095sq7Jc04Qgw4dURA952LE912LhTcQaX46qIaQPYSWNjCiEeuY3JQR2kjlPSGaJ1ZglCdflJOtHTuES18QX1BtKc38AFESKGS7IOyMhTZfrqTe_tT7kK_WM1/s640/13315697_10103911871220605_5378569558767026563_n.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Because this is happening! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EQcUeYrn-ze7Jlix2g9A-aZ8Qc0ppaZDK9CIO4QJmSHU0Eqnk2BPn-1NjGBt98OJ-aQJmXXgGq_kLR3x9Znlwjg-_Y7yz7LYfq2sNDcHpD4iGgONn-ssnFoPLtBjyeFEgGE2WjUfib9w/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EQcUeYrn-ze7Jlix2g9A-aZ8Qc0ppaZDK9CIO4QJmSHU0Eqnk2BPn-1NjGBt98OJ-aQJmXXgGq_kLR3x9Znlwjg-_Y7yz7LYfq2sNDcHpD4iGgONn-ssnFoPLtBjyeFEgGE2WjUfib9w/s640/1.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yep! I'll go into much greater detail in my upcoming posts, but for now, all I'll say is that we found another fixer upper in our dream location and it was too hard to pass up. So, we bought it. We have so much work to do, and will basically be starting over on a whole other house all the way across town!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I can't even tell you how excited I am, and I can't wait to tell you all of the details about the new place. There will be some crappy before photos, that's for sure. We just listed our current house for sale last night and have already had a few showings, so I'm hoping it goes quickly so that we can get started on the new place. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I know a lot of you will be sad to see us leave this home. And I know....I feel it, too. I will miss this house so much! It was our first house, the house where my blog was born, the house where Ava was born, the house where I went from age 26 to 32 and basically grew into myself. It really inspired a whole new direction for my life. It will always be so special to me. But, it's time for us to move on to an exciting new chapter in our lives, and it's time for this house to inspire the next family.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thank you guys so much for following along throughout this chapter of my life. It's been such a gift to have this place where I can tell people about my life and my home. I'm so excited to invite you into my next home in the same way. It's probably gonna be crappy and ugly for awhile as we slowly breathe life back into it, but I promise to take you along for the ride and just let you bear witness to my inevitable design mishaps and (hopefully) glories.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Also, Ava is (almost) one, and I'm about to have a lot of stuff to share in regards to renovating our next home, so hopefully I can find my way back to being a working woman with life goals (aka posting regularly).</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">xo,</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheK9CvT9JTweMZBBTYchqJizvcEBFhzBAaULcOVdWuW1NlJVGs9XpnYxBsmRnvgldqw1vTzKezxS25U7Fy6NmtUaQvVXaYKngtYOmSU0GjOEs1gz89MrAzQyX8eCbVmei1KAE_z7xLbocT/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheK9CvT9JTweMZBBTYchqJizvcEBFhzBAaULcOVdWuW1NlJVGs9XpnYxBsmRnvgldqw1vTzKezxS25U7Fy6NmtUaQvVXaYKngtYOmSU0GjOEs1gz89MrAzQyX8eCbVmei1KAE_z7xLbocT/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<center>
</center>
<center>
</center>
<center>
Follow my blog with<br /><a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3384224/?claim=jkea24f9wt7"><img align="middle" alt="bloglovin' photo BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii634/livelovediy/BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" width="30%" /></a></center>
<br />
<center>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.image-maps.com/m/private/7229/5712-LiveLoveDIYSOCIAL_zps2f8f6f4a.jpg" height="45" id="Image-Maps-Com-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" usemap="#image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" width="300" /><map id="ImageMapsCom-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" name="image-maps-2014-02-16-213014"><area alt="pinterest" coords="43,0,84,43" href="http://www.pinterest.com/livelovediy/" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Pinterest"></area><area alt="facebook" coords="88,1,127,42" href="https://www.facebook.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Facebook"></area><area alt="instagram" coords="132,1,173,42" href="http://instagram.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Instagram"></area><area alt="twitter" coords="177,0,219,41" href="https://twitter.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Twitter"></area><area alt="Image Map" coords="298,43,300,45" href="http://www.image-maps.com/index.php?aff=mapped_users_7229" shape="rect" title="Image Map"></area></map><form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=livelovediy/PtTE', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 0px solid #ccc; padding: 0px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small;">Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email!</span></b><br />
Enter your email address:<br />
<input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br />
<input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form>
</center>
LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-27772305882581327422016-04-12T22:02:00.000-04:002016-04-12T22:02:39.259-04:00Master bedroom decorating updates!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2VTZ4KN5-W3sxuGrPwXHMg8ZRmjnpUBPgwyUPYHMI6t1bAc1vNMjPnL64J3LAhQy50LMXaSoS5ftrYRxVN1-t3WETa7Xo18KWA14UTSvj5xh6lOgtezbTSvg6mkSzkNop89cnvM38dNKI/s1600/master+bedroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="decorating tips" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2VTZ4KN5-W3sxuGrPwXHMg8ZRmjnpUBPgwyUPYHMI6t1bAc1vNMjPnL64J3LAhQy50LMXaSoS5ftrYRxVN1-t3WETa7Xo18KWA14UTSvj5xh6lOgtezbTSvg6mkSzkNop89cnvM38dNKI/s400/master+bedroom.jpg" title="Master bedroom decorating ideas | LiveLoveDIY" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hey ya'll. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, I changed our master bedroom a little bit, and I thought I would pop in really quick to share a few pics of the updates with you guys.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've posted about this bedroom so much that I'm going to spare you the exhaustive details (assuming you are an old pal and already know the <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2013/07/decorating-mistakes-lessons-1-bedroom.html">birth story</a> of this room) and instead just share some of the pics I took. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><i>There's not much to talk about anyway. All I did was add a new rug and spend 20 minutes cleaning piles of laundry off my bed. But, you know, sometimes that alone is worth a post. Especially during these trying times of child rearing and blog drought.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Let's not dwell.</i></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxd_u9s1di6SldxTnX81pvBR4FzD9l_3E6kLTUWuAnifS0q3wcS0qH3AG4a1ZwScdbMeYUnNF8q3tpUaViL5at_Haeo4j4m-p7ZiFxLlljMbSVc2cxkROxI7Bqfi08gQWh1HnoG0JRkNtY/s1600/master+bedroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="bedroom rug decorating" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxd_u9s1di6SldxTnX81pvBR4FzD9l_3E6kLTUWuAnifS0q3wcS0qH3AG4a1ZwScdbMeYUnNF8q3tpUaViL5at_Haeo4j4m-p7ZiFxLlljMbSVc2cxkROxI7Bqfi08gQWh1HnoG0JRkNtY/s640/master+bedroom.jpg" title="Master bedroom decorating ideas | LiveLoveDIY" width="426" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The fabulous new rug is the Prescott <a href="http://www.rugsusa.com/rugsusa/rugs/rugs-usa-tu49-painted-roses/pink/200MRTU49A-508.html">Painted Roses</a> rug from <a href="http://www.rugsusa.com/rugsusa/control/rugs">Rugs USA</a>, and I love being able to have everything else in this room really neutral and muted, and then have this one big statement piece. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09Hx913jXHxlaS5fNSaBnky78ppVdimBvFp9IWeXVXeWtXuo9dgom2YYeieG2rCqlp89y6mfRq1uYuc_DiJe64oywdJ9TIB71AlGqE_AjFNbrhaA6M8By2yUbrVKI77k5j5y8ArUx4iWI/s1600/master+bedroom+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="rugs usa" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09Hx913jXHxlaS5fNSaBnky78ppVdimBvFp9IWeXVXeWtXuo9dgom2YYeieG2rCqlp89y6mfRq1uYuc_DiJe64oywdJ9TIB71AlGqE_AjFNbrhaA6M8By2yUbrVKI77k5j5y8ArUx4iWI/s640/master+bedroom+2.jpg" title="Master bedroom decorating ideas | LiveLoveDIY" width="470" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Y2y3TUVLc4uAt6EiHgZnrMfDjF6dHB9Ewqmnj1NqDGCkcpxAwJMRx_zZAk0hFiWNh7bFM5DIFe1N9GDwXJbhH1Vv-S2GCOn65hrNHM7QwfTDH3sGce9by9CDBArg00kdovoUSzXS9ldO/s1600/master+bedroom+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="bedroom decorating" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Y2y3TUVLc4uAt6EiHgZnrMfDjF6dHB9Ewqmnj1NqDGCkcpxAwJMRx_zZAk0hFiWNh7bFM5DIFe1N9GDwXJbhH1Vv-S2GCOn65hrNHM7QwfTDH3sGce9by9CDBArg00kdovoUSzXS9ldO/s640/master+bedroom+11.jpg" title="Master bedroom decorating ideas | LiveLoveDIY" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nothing has really changed with the furniture in this room. After so many thrift store redos and swapping stuff in and out of here, it finally feels like the right assortment of old and new pieces. (More details on the furniture can be found in <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/02/master-bedroom-updates-and-hot-pink.html">this</a> post from last year.)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzP_bTfAuZCHPCOeRFm1zh5r0Niih-zlEMgosYhdICs7dCkHRsO5yHSQlw1ClYDBZ3-hUL6ZlOFL-ryBoyyesGy0cVZ4AqHX30_eAbQpf1iAPtbGBsXVZ_cmiFT8mmhulm8GrdujYNAKbY/s1600/master+bedroom+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="bedroom decorating ideas" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzP_bTfAuZCHPCOeRFm1zh5r0Niih-zlEMgosYhdICs7dCkHRsO5yHSQlw1ClYDBZ3-hUL6ZlOFL-ryBoyyesGy0cVZ4AqHX30_eAbQpf1iAPtbGBsXVZ_cmiFT8mmhulm8GrdujYNAKbY/s640/master+bedroom+13.jpg" title="Master bedroom decorating ideas | LiveLoveDIY" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Although, one of the handles on my dresser broke and I'm looking for something to update the hardware with. No luck so far with my search for replacement french provincial hardware. </i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Holler if you have any hot tips.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, I probably need to paint that weird under-leg, and I'm probably never going to do that.</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, I'm pretty sure there is some trash under that dresser and I'm just going to leave it there. Both in real life, and in that picture. </i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're all friends here.</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And here's a wide shot of the room. I swapped out our chandelier for a little ceiling fan, too. Not because it looks good, but because I'm a mom now and I need to feel some wind on my face. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMkbnzrkc7YMAgNjqTezpgZGsUrmD3m-dL1OhjwL95s-LhISO7koEx-E2sIsqcTUc6NlwXLUpJlUe-vNmQo2FZyITTty3QA0URNm28qDv1IjFWsg6TjguepvHoOpx8UEOLObd7wwvzWZs/s1600/master+bedroom+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="rugs usa" border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMkbnzrkc7YMAgNjqTezpgZGsUrmD3m-dL1OhjwL95s-LhISO7koEx-E2sIsqcTUc6NlwXLUpJlUe-vNmQo2FZyITTty3QA0URNm28qDv1IjFWsg6TjguepvHoOpx8UEOLObd7wwvzWZs/s640/master+bedroom+9.jpg" title="Master bedroom decorating ideas | LiveLoveDIY" width="570" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, that's pretty much it, you guys. I told you....nothing major....just a sassy new rug that I'm really loving right now. In Ava related news, there's a tent in my living room that she's obsessed with. Occasionally, Jesse and Tootie squeeze in there with her, too. It's pretty cute.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3h6f7btVLGZbLsBmsPnv0yTfabcTRtRD4IHMUiK0DocPpO9Hoet8zEzwlXrMwlmLa1plStd5mTC54IuoLcm4Hi8ttaZ3v_1sxzs0XXA3sD8uPZ_BoEbof3y6NEVcU_KF-_2-yce4sakWI/s1600/IMG_1286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3h6f7btVLGZbLsBmsPnv0yTfabcTRtRD4IHMUiK0DocPpO9Hoet8zEzwlXrMwlmLa1plStd5mTC54IuoLcm4Hi8ttaZ3v_1sxzs0XXA3sD8uPZ_BoEbof3y6NEVcU_KF-_2-yce4sakWI/s400/IMG_1286.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">She's starting to dance when we play music. She loves it when Jesse plays the guitar for her.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchIH534cjOMfiDHqKZ9Qwz1iFal2yFdYYRCpq_t_ltm4JqaQREXAKpgDGYKH_SuhWhGEt0cTX05NrgpSH4A1oOrZIUBukToml-zmWXQSHAsRTqr3m6TsYHrfHLueNxgMVX9DnANQMOsT5/s1600/ava+livelovediy+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchIH534cjOMfiDHqKZ9Qwz1iFal2yFdYYRCpq_t_ltm4JqaQREXAKpgDGYKH_SuhWhGEt0cTX05NrgpSH4A1oOrZIUBukToml-zmWXQSHAsRTqr3m6TsYHrfHLueNxgMVX9DnANQMOsT5/s320/ava+livelovediy+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And she's got a tooth now. Well, more of a nub, but we've broken ground! :)</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKZXUCLVeHKbWwOA4GCMoeTrjxM6eIs5X3qccHHDR2A7YHk9QALa8vRFveX4f4CErVX1co_Lfyu784CS7Ps4YwtJPXvKSF8ejmqTw0cBmXDhgJENz_xT7ztCpjVt4VhNIqfwUbpfQxsR6V/s1600/ava+livelovediy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKZXUCLVeHKbWwOA4GCMoeTrjxM6eIs5X3qccHHDR2A7YHk9QALa8vRFveX4f4CErVX1co_Lfyu784CS7Ps4YwtJPXvKSF8ejmqTw0cBmXDhgJENz_xT7ztCpjVt4VhNIqfwUbpfQxsR6V/s320/ava+livelovediy.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And that's all for today, ya'll. Thanks for being here.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheK9CvT9JTweMZBBTYchqJizvcEBFhzBAaULcOVdWuW1NlJVGs9XpnYxBsmRnvgldqw1vTzKezxS25U7Fy6NmtUaQvVXaYKngtYOmSU0GjOEs1gz89MrAzQyX8eCbVmei1KAE_z7xLbocT/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheK9CvT9JTweMZBBTYchqJizvcEBFhzBAaULcOVdWuW1NlJVGs9XpnYxBsmRnvgldqw1vTzKezxS25U7Fy6NmtUaQvVXaYKngtYOmSU0GjOEs1gz89MrAzQyX8eCbVmei1KAE_z7xLbocT/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<center>
</center>
<center>
</center>
<center>
Follow my blog with<br /><a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3384224/?claim=jkea24f9wt7"><img align="middle" alt="bloglovin' photo BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii634/livelovediy/BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" width="30%" /></a></center>
<br />
<center>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.image-maps.com/m/private/7229/5712-LiveLoveDIYSOCIAL_zps2f8f6f4a.jpg" height="45" id="Image-Maps-Com-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" usemap="#image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" width="300" /><map id="ImageMapsCom-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" name="image-maps-2014-02-16-213014"><area alt="pinterest" coords="43,0,84,43" href="http://www.pinterest.com/livelovediy/" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Pinterest"></area><area alt="facebook" coords="88,1,127,42" href="https://www.facebook.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Facebook"></area><area alt="instagram" coords="132,1,173,42" href="http://instagram.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Instagram"></area><area alt="twitter" coords="177,0,219,41" href="https://twitter.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Twitter"></area><area alt="Image Map" coords="298,43,300,45" href="http://www.image-maps.com/index.php?aff=mapped_users_7229" shape="rect" title="Image Map"></area></map><form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=livelovediy/PtTE', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 0px solid #ccc; padding: 0px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small;">Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email!</span></b><br />
Enter your email address:<br />
<input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br />
<input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form>
</center>
LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-90773941204697377882016-04-05T21:45:00.002-04:002016-04-07T04:44:49.732-04:00DIY Abstract Wall Art <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-aI2nq5TnejXLDekN3SIMaBjgoWYzKhtKZdxH0MAJEHXY1latD3p5NNS6SP4aK4Hc7AK-8eEGlKAAJPblL3ZMK4PwHMpS886oobBdLpfdvLL6YS1ZIlAAxwSFD8I_wLQsHmC9hbwfdcON/s1600/HOW+TO+MAKE+WALL+ART+LIVELOVEDIY.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="cheap wall art" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-aI2nq5TnejXLDekN3SIMaBjgoWYzKhtKZdxH0MAJEHXY1latD3p5NNS6SP4aK4Hc7AK-8eEGlKAAJPblL3ZMK4PwHMpS886oobBdLpfdvLL6YS1ZIlAAxwSFD8I_wLQsHmC9hbwfdcON/s400/HOW+TO+MAKE+WALL+ART+LIVELOVEDIY.JPG" title="How to make your own easy wall art! Love this DIY idea!" width="248" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjICQ3W2y4X249sSoV25iXDMmNjpHErvv30BVyeeUVtroFF3EzPxdux2Jxx82y7Xlnr0hBciF3mu6Fxn21gzsJK5AvlekOgJiA4YX5OzF0hB8Vc_3yulIb53mOo0xKu2HPw3ZdixbjZRzfA/s1600/HOW+TO+MAKE+WALL+ART+LIVELOVEDIY.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hey guys! I have a really easy wall art idea for you today, but before we get started, I just wanted to thank everyone who came to follow me on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/livelovediy/">Instagram</a> after my bathroom makeover <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2016/03/diy-bathroom-remodel-on-budget.html">post</a>. I usually post over there about once a week, and even though most of my posts these days tend to be about my personal life rather than my creative life, I still love having the chance to interact with you on a regular basis. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I haven't had much creative energy since Ava was born, but as she gets older and I get a better grasp on this mommy thing, I'm slowly finding more time to get back to the things I love doing </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">(outside of being a mom, of course).</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Granted, this only happens after Ava goes to bed at night, and I usually end up in a ball on my sofa, covering my head with a blanket, and occasionally emerging to tell Netflix that yes, I am still watching. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, yes, I want to be a sloth 90% of the time when Ava is asleep, but we are making progress here. There's a full 10% of the time when I am back to being a functional, driven, creative, has-plucked-her-eyebrows, person. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A few weeks ago, I was staring at the painting in my living room (the <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/11/how-we-updated-our-1970s-house-on.html">questionable</a> one I recently did), feeling productive, and was finally able to admit to myself that it was not good. I think I already deep down knew that, but sometimes you spend HOURS making something and you let yourself sit in denial for a few months, just being mildly annoyed everytime you see the thing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, this weekend, I finally harnessed my 10% self and fixed it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm really so happy with this painting, and my feelings were totally validated when Jesse asked me to please not paint over it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><i>You'll understand way more about this than you could ever want to know in just a minute. Please hold.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">He seems to like everything I do, or at least trusts my vision enough to let me hash it out over time, but he's never told me that before. He probably doesn't even remember that moment, but I definitely do. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, here are some pictures.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9J51wl4bfFRZpR2eFT3xirJdaeq153DlF857XnBDiJ6KassUQ3TDXtYHindizBd8uGzhRe4RhXwt3Jj7qFjKUeevrswMrhkqjv_CmHAAdTVaAJSAvFKdcaKl9BII7RyS7uA1SoGAGvR6D/s1600/cheap+wall+art+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="wall art" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9J51wl4bfFRZpR2eFT3xirJdaeq153DlF857XnBDiJ6KassUQ3TDXtYHindizBd8uGzhRe4RhXwt3Jj7qFjKUeevrswMrhkqjv_CmHAAdTVaAJSAvFKdcaKl9BII7RyS7uA1SoGAGvR6D/s640/cheap+wall+art+ideas.jpg" title="How to make your own easy wall art! Love this DIY idea!" width="426" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have swapped out the pink pillows in my living <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/11/how-we-updated-our-1970s-house-on.html">room</a> for blue and gray ones, and I think the pops of color in the painting really play nice with the new scheme.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5sf2ij7JrrpajwNl9i7KiI1YxBbrzKsZVI3HwBfOuMeYJGZabj-F0vvo_LxUrYmkhe4TpwH0JdMINfOmCujwb2RUlKuN4KmcUVoMG3qxq9KZYxHxVosg1ciQ2XxdMxxuMbmFavp-52T3/s1600/cheap+easy+wall+art+ideas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="wall art" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5sf2ij7JrrpajwNl9i7KiI1YxBbrzKsZVI3HwBfOuMeYJGZabj-F0vvo_LxUrYmkhe4TpwH0JdMINfOmCujwb2RUlKuN4KmcUVoMG3qxq9KZYxHxVosg1ciQ2XxdMxxuMbmFavp-52T3/s640/cheap+easy+wall+art+ideas.JPG" title="How to make your own easy wall art! Love this DIY idea!" width="530" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm a recovering compulsive pillow swapper. This is only my second pillow swap in two years, and it feels like I should definitely acknowledge this progress with at least a mention.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><i>If we're being honest, I think I just had bigger fish to fry with the whole basement <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/05/our-1970s-house-makeover-basement.html">renovation</a>, <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/05/our-new-white-washed-hardwood-flooring.html">flooring</a> redo, and scary <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/06/the-baby-has-arrived.html">pregnancy</a>, and so pillows were my last thought. I still love those <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/11/how-we-updated-our-1970s-house-on.html">pink</a> pillows though, and will be hoarding them for the future.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><i>I just linked to 500 things, I'm sorry. It seemed relevant.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8_0ZO2dcA8aqMFshFckaqmjpavcCDPnaAb-TKeanTMTY3qe_J0b46yFlMjlDLPP0_3TeJ2MHI1_pclL6ZuI0zOllziSxoUWQencOpWOGxIwGt59MQwOusXRAhr4ZLLuNc1JoamqSZcZZ/s1600/3+revised.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="cheap decor ideas" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8_0ZO2dcA8aqMFshFckaqmjpavcCDPnaAb-TKeanTMTY3qe_J0b46yFlMjlDLPP0_3TeJ2MHI1_pclL6ZuI0zOllziSxoUWQencOpWOGxIwGt59MQwOusXRAhr4ZLLuNc1JoamqSZcZZ/s640/3+revised.jpg" title="How to make your own easy wall art! Love this DIY idea!" width="426" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">That silver frame was made by Jesse. It's just some cheap wood from Home Depot, a few brackets, and then I spray painted the frame with some silver spray paint. I think framing whatever you make really takes it up a notch, and I'm thankful that Jesse can be my amateur woodworker for these projects. Because you know I'm not even gonna pretend like I have any skills in that department. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of these days, I'll learn, for sure, but let's be honest, if you have someone that will help you with certain things, rarely do you learn to do those things for yourself. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>It's a blessing and a curse.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38zZ7RFCxFqaIg8zcl7UoPAE_Rf_6ro-85SFrTL850oOypD-wX9Mteelonugu9yCgXMuVwl_skRlon1FtwIhMFQjieVQpLC8Gy4Ilnf8qeMYzxW8SZArTWZpJi3C76fbRvfLAEzKHRn6R/s1600/wall+art+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="wall art ideas" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38zZ7RFCxFqaIg8zcl7UoPAE_Rf_6ro-85SFrTL850oOypD-wX9Mteelonugu9yCgXMuVwl_skRlon1FtwIhMFQjieVQpLC8Gy4Ilnf8qeMYzxW8SZArTWZpJi3C76fbRvfLAEzKHRn6R/s640/wall+art+ideas.jpg" title="How to make your own easy wall art! Love this DIY idea!" width="426" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">On another random note, I took the painting down yesterday to put the final clear coat on it, and I had it sitting in the dining room, just leaning against the wainscotting.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And I thought to myself, hmmmm....this painting looks good in here, too.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've always had that ornate thrift store mirror hung in here, and I like it, but after seeing the painting in here, it made me think I should start working on some art for in there, too. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzU4r5SbErLkvDRCJqInHq75OtcKHZM2U_ZX6qQ_qiytfrysZrSJyAMkKnzZzltCoFzW7Fc3yT6jsiYaAEA91UCGuktXJhRSN1hOIejLszBsz00EDs26HjYlkQH2xny-Epmy1TqkLZ2PqF/s1600/wall+art+ideas+cheap.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="cheap wall art" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzU4r5SbErLkvDRCJqInHq75OtcKHZM2U_ZX6qQ_qiytfrysZrSJyAMkKnzZzltCoFzW7Fc3yT6jsiYaAEA91UCGuktXJhRSN1hOIejLszBsz00EDs26HjYlkQH2xny-Epmy1TqkLZ2PqF/s640/wall+art+ideas+cheap.JPG" title="How to make your own easy wall art! Love this DIY idea!" width="512" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hung it up in the dining <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/05/our-new-white-washed-hardwood-flooring.html">room</a> for a few minutes, just to see what it looked like in there.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvCp5RRj8hEgUrTX6nbG1dGAKmRCksYDqHCt0PBq9jeaYuoZvWPPUw14nkZbXcQhm8eWII4s3Gj32H4407nTkK0Njwbm5CHQKBDj_7bAM19grfzyNqUay8rPKbB4xUFxrNR3gUOXihDEp/s1600/diy+wall+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="cheap wall art ideas" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvCp5RRj8hEgUrTX6nbG1dGAKmRCksYDqHCt0PBq9jeaYuoZvWPPUw14nkZbXcQhm8eWII4s3Gj32H4407nTkK0Njwbm5CHQKBDj_7bAM19grfzyNqUay8rPKbB4xUFxrNR3gUOXihDEp/s640/diy+wall+art.jpg" title="How to make your own easy wall art! Love this DIY idea!" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And I loved it in there, too. Ugh, the dilemma.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyDTCtKAybCii6a36RIDgWY04GtAbOp1k2JbAhrqw7sItK4qmsvct6y5Wfg8cIZKk1E2M3XkLQ6RafE1IaS407_MKDuw9Wgw3k-tixvmnrI1jzdYobGUFJ-nLLHEinv-kKrklfiP2ereq/s1600/DSC_0174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="cheap decor ideas renovation" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyDTCtKAybCii6a36RIDgWY04GtAbOp1k2JbAhrqw7sItK4qmsvct6y5Wfg8cIZKk1E2M3XkLQ6RafE1IaS407_MKDuw9Wgw3k-tixvmnrI1jzdYobGUFJ-nLLHEinv-kKrklfiP2ereq/s640/DSC_0174.JPG" title="How to make your own easy wall art! Love this DIY idea!" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFia4dTX7xWJrO5lFUck0liMXO_hmYVi6K1kh-uv-k44KMNpCrzKLi4SFiYI5UOMomX200-2yqi85n4YeXsIpqx-dtRn7F8KBFcYKSnKBv2pSrxQmN1S5QF2k-AQYuUHeSBiIdlLmoGjV/s1600/DSC_0164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="cheap wall art" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFia4dTX7xWJrO5lFUck0liMXO_hmYVi6K1kh-uv-k44KMNpCrzKLi4SFiYI5UOMomX200-2yqi85n4YeXsIpqx-dtRn7F8KBFcYKSnKBv2pSrxQmN1S5QF2k-AQYuUHeSBiIdlLmoGjV/s640/DSC_0164.JPG" title="How to make your own easy wall art! Love this DIY idea!" width="428" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ultimately, I think I've decided I want it in the living room, but in the process of moving it around, I've decided to play around with making a different painting for the dining room...maybe slightly larger and hung horizontally.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><i>Such tantalizing details, I know.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, before we get to the tutorial, a few thoughts. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After I posted a sneak peek of this painting on Instagram the other night, comments popped up with ya'll saying you've tried to paint something before and it turned out looking not so good. I totally get it. It feels a bit defeating, right? I have been a terrible artist for 99% of my life, and will probably continue to make some not so good stuff. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">That's how it works.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some stuff I've learned in my repeated attempts to make something I can actually hang on my wall without feeling a deep sense of decor shame:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I make my worst art when I'm being timid and scared and feeling like I don't know what I'm doing. I do so much better when I just have fun and remind myself that it doesn't have to be perfect (or even good) to be worth my time.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">You probably won't like the first piece of art you make, or if you're like me, the first twenty.</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It might take you a few tries to stop being an art monster.</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another thing? Don't be afraid to mess up for fear of ruining your nice, new canvas. Just so you know, the painting in this post has been painted over at least 10 times. And after doing a deep dive on my computer, I've found the photographic proof for you. It's definitely embarrassing, and definitely worth sharing. A wounded ego is never a bad thing.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, here is this same painting, from its inception.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Brace yourself.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>My first attempt, actually not too bad in retrospect. But, it's funny because I hated it and ended up making about 10 worse things in an effort to fix it.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqZ3ppPtKjUt-uHohyphenhyphenC8srYZkB4iqgtq4J0YnxIZo1sMPbfBQScoeQQgFiN_Iipt0ccbQS3tvo29JRfdZhHnUdomQFPAy_QFCCPyhyphenhyphen5Papr41cawSelq-d7p4VkMfx0Y6IeyFnttlrPsX/s1600/24474_799749263995_39353_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqZ3ppPtKjUt-uHohyphenhyphenC8srYZkB4iqgtq4J0YnxIZo1sMPbfBQScoeQQgFiN_Iipt0ccbQS3tvo29JRfdZhHnUdomQFPAy_QFCCPyhyphenhyphen5Papr41cawSelq-d7p4VkMfx0Y6IeyFnttlrPsX/s400/24474_799749263995_39353_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I popped a thrift store frame on it at some point. </i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>And did whatever else is happening here.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSz_Eld3Qv-PoIW1N5gvyqiBD2UhU8-OYbZ_1ADEGndi_ZFlUcyi_5WsszkpogGBruUNLziO9GsiYsCSGPQCjpN0U0vURCdyZU62VtOW3b4521L_kIVGttdPzVYbziFEwKgXoFeJygRoWn/s1600/166166_922570923405_1194053_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSz_Eld3Qv-PoIW1N5gvyqiBD2UhU8-OYbZ_1ADEGndi_ZFlUcyi_5WsszkpogGBruUNLziO9GsiYsCSGPQCjpN0U0vURCdyZU62VtOW3b4521L_kIVGttdPzVYbziFEwKgXoFeJygRoWn/s400/166166_922570923405_1194053_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>No comment on this one.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiN7Wls5mBBr5PwtLmpFLKpbzna1Zpq3EtNrAMjnLfMC1ZGbSOxM2pJPrt6PGXPRB83wwuRpHPlXvwKHM-AQJTXNtxI_5b2ZeA4-EFA3TPkb24FYj8WbqixMIhXtZ8JV2Mkm9hb9FaUeRB/s1600/196943_950037430305_7291633_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiN7Wls5mBBr5PwtLmpFLKpbzna1Zpq3EtNrAMjnLfMC1ZGbSOxM2pJPrt6PGXPRB83wwuRpHPlXvwKHM-AQJTXNtxI_5b2ZeA4-EFA3TPkb24FYj8WbqixMIhXtZ8JV2Mkm9hb9FaUeRB/s400/196943_950037430305_7291633_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>In retrospect, I kinda love this next one. </i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was like the eye of the storm.</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mental note: Recreate this later.</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouK3ldaHh_n8y7cEGj67VP1oU2dzcxuhtqCOHuJAj2u7ZgB4Hw78pyfsIymNSe2VZUTYGfDxFCPGjYDtK_wh_RFGGpc5DxLv9nss2FHRUjNYEgim2JP5R6Ts0170urnUx_agtQQgPrETp/s1600/1918224_809625247445_4082073_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouK3ldaHh_n8y7cEGj67VP1oU2dzcxuhtqCOHuJAj2u7ZgB4Hw78pyfsIymNSe2VZUTYGfDxFCPGjYDtK_wh_RFGGpc5DxLv9nss2FHRUjNYEgim2JP5R6Ts0170urnUx_agtQQgPrETp/s400/1918224_809625247445_4082073_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then, I made this thing for my 'living room of tan', circa 2010.</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjehg7B50oroqKH5W7z1i5Y-gLBrZPwmwPSxieapWx2Rw0yW6TFIHdSF1F13i-pglQBgm7cIYP_7GdU2eKaWtZWiqoKXNhN0PDMkpDEUrNaI6BCep-ANHVLg4aRdC2NthEH7Obbo81-Q2/s1600/74178_899623031165_70894_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjehg7B50oroqKH5W7z1i5Y-gLBrZPwmwPSxieapWx2Rw0yW6TFIHdSF1F13i-pglQBgm7cIYP_7GdU2eKaWtZWiqoKXNhN0PDMkpDEUrNaI6BCep-ANHVLg4aRdC2NthEH7Obbo81-Q2/s400/74178_899623031165_70894_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>And then this thing.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not mad about it. It was just misguided in its color scheme and flower breed.</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc8IciUvDxZ_Qi6IdSKqh5LbyCx6uUYesEVSjNujQN9v06tZbwQfQ-FxvnA1UbTodjS5vqDqAkNm8JfiQY2u3yTnpI_vNU-qbijJ0CYXCkpmM80_fw2XtIv5Flgr65gQXiUFCl5PbMT-y0/s1600/165543_929260023395_3482856_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc8IciUvDxZ_Qi6IdSKqh5LbyCx6uUYesEVSjNujQN9v06tZbwQfQ-FxvnA1UbTodjS5vqDqAkNm8JfiQY2u3yTnpI_vNU-qbijJ0CYXCkpmM80_fw2XtIv5Flgr65gQXiUFCl5PbMT-y0/s400/165543_929260023395_3482856_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then, I felt a need to create some little art sidecars. </span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Slow clap.</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92k30ExS7JvvpWD_iR_uFfP5JwN42UunS8HmfMntfiPULjLZsnJqUq51DZQKwTRa_URSyfBQ46l9Ms6HpIb0viOkXn58xJUx3O2bxrOWK5EVztGoh-xcMrruJZ18tqOrBW3oOdMYBWaK0/s1600/190082_949557606875_1876997_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92k30ExS7JvvpWD_iR_uFfP5JwN42UunS8HmfMntfiPULjLZsnJqUq51DZQKwTRa_URSyfBQ46l9Ms6HpIb0viOkXn58xJUx3O2bxrOWK5EVztGoh-xcMrruJZ18tqOrBW3oOdMYBWaK0/s400/190082_949557606875_1876997_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>And then chevron was a thing. </i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmKesOasqPT0z1ZoONDgkKCYFsMF4vaueXgPxpCFjcd0f-uT5T3RdCpcldsSvW1By-wi0U93QDFBQhGTkAHdZsQnWi48aY5qR4K83CIaAN5cmBqIsx8K1eCXyb7kX3WdKP0fqKuT82IcQ/s1600/DSC04691+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmKesOasqPT0z1ZoONDgkKCYFsMF4vaueXgPxpCFjcd0f-uT5T3RdCpcldsSvW1By-wi0U93QDFBQhGTkAHdZsQnWi48aY5qR4K83CIaAN5cmBqIsx8K1eCXyb7kX3WdKP0fqKuT82IcQ/s400/DSC04691+2.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>And then I think I got really tired and quit messing with this canvas for a couple years. I did tons of other art in those couple years, but I worked on different canvases, smaller ones. And then after our house was renovated and I cleaned out all the closets, I found this canvas covered in dust and decided to try again rather than throw it away. Plus, I think my style just evolved. Things just happen that way, I suppose.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>So, that's when I created this.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I like this one, you can tell my continued efforts were definitely starting to pay off, but it just wasn't 'there' yet.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmtalDRdbzRq_Vc__1y394YhaqD11akHVIdOdvhzV2Nr33q9OhcFWXTM0YPayx80PeuMN6ppZxbXT7UV4X4FQKskaiN2Pt4k-YI-SynfnS4LOHbRXMV7LMzQLMuPo4eaWL1bPKo55NuqX/s1600/painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmtalDRdbzRq_Vc__1y394YhaqD11akHVIdOdvhzV2Nr33q9OhcFWXTM0YPayx80PeuMN6ppZxbXT7UV4X4FQKskaiN2Pt4k-YI-SynfnS4LOHbRXMV7LMzQLMuPo4eaWL1bPKo55NuqX/s640/painting.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then I made it worse and made the big blob that occupied my living room for a few months. Not bad, but just kinda eh.</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6N1XK5s5G6qj15B08Spp7BphTrCsknuGIje4HeBlFBSL4naTnXRRpMbcFkKzYGmNMUBZR9yzllqDxcAkbbcv323aI8lEkzYlOZRUiHEcMAQQpFvjy-44bcZCsyocIUwTT0FgiRtcpKqJm/s1600/living+room+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6N1XK5s5G6qj15B08Spp7BphTrCsknuGIje4HeBlFBSL4naTnXRRpMbcFkKzYGmNMUBZR9yzllqDxcAkbbcv323aI8lEkzYlOZRUiHEcMAQQpFvjy-44bcZCsyocIUwTT0FgiRtcpKqJm/s640/living+room+1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And that brings us to today. </span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think it's finally 'there'. :)</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFWsttpBe6cQ5aEtoGxC4svTIxB-aINzkOieF33I1lbpJUCBD7nd3j-9W8ME5rr21R0GyVcPj5wRgV9gBcjNU-oRbjhknJQa9cTxzW-hu1dtdxyqvWtPkAXSG2sAu0hv3AVuVavT0bpUO/s1600/easy+wall+art.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="wall art" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFWsttpBe6cQ5aEtoGxC4svTIxB-aINzkOieF33I1lbpJUCBD7nd3j-9W8ME5rr21R0GyVcPj5wRgV9gBcjNU-oRbjhknJQa9cTxzW-hu1dtdxyqvWtPkAXSG2sAu0hv3AVuVavT0bpUO/s640/easy+wall+art.JPG" title="How to make your own easy wall art! Love this DIY idea!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvUAL27zxcgaFqz3c6_h52yAXZV9Y9ohvXeZfKXGejy2s5JKSErMK11GcHtXzPjAj-ZBqzbfa8uascu5m1t2R-8lxG9TkpLxCPSl2cuxMjf7v8pqN80NhjpImsE_DsQ2iAHLoaWIonnvk/s1600/cheap+wall+art+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="wall art diy" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvUAL27zxcgaFqz3c6_h52yAXZV9Y9ohvXeZfKXGejy2s5JKSErMK11GcHtXzPjAj-ZBqzbfa8uascu5m1t2R-8lxG9TkpLxCPSl2cuxMjf7v8pqN80NhjpImsE_DsQ2iAHLoaWIonnvk/s640/cheap+wall+art+ideas.jpg" title="How to make your own easy wall art! Love this DIY idea!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> It's such an awkward feeling to pull the curtain back on myself, but I think it's so very worth it. I hope it helps calm some of your fears about 'just not being good enough', and mostly, I hope it encourages you to keep trying.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Onto the tutorial...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are the supplies I used.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhftthHfd5-iIRQNkXArKjKjoELIcOEsPZMP4GdZAryWUQqnhKLTLO_uyS53ogYGpq600jBHgaRv_extHXKMzM4BMfniQqghdjuMnsseMAvrEWDFH9eeMtM0xxWj6mR2Yc6JYpStjgZkh17/s1600/DSC_01889.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="make art" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhftthHfd5-iIRQNkXArKjKjoELIcOEsPZMP4GdZAryWUQqnhKLTLO_uyS53ogYGpq600jBHgaRv_extHXKMzM4BMfniQqghdjuMnsseMAvrEWDFH9eeMtM0xxWj6mR2Yc6JYpStjgZkh17/s640/DSC_01889.jpg" title="How to make your own easy wall art! Love this DIY idea!" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I used a canvas. I think we've addressed that.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I bought a cheap assortment of artist's brushes. I've since bought a few nicer ones, and I'll be honest, the nice ones are better. But you can do just fine with the cheap ones. I also use my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YC06T2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002YC06T2&linkCode=as2&tag=li0a6a-20&linkId=SYCBR63G67CJSBYB">Wooster brush</a> (affiliate link) that I use for one million other home improvement projects. This is ridiculous, probably, but it works great for blending and making big, chunky strokes.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I bought the big pack of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00251GHLI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00251GHLI&linkCode=as2&tag=li0a6a-20&linkId=B2TD747YO7E7RPTB"> BASICS Acrylic Paint</a> (affiliate link). It gives you every color under the sun, and is great for when you are just getting started and learning how to mix colors. I suggest buying an extra couple tubes of plain white and plain black, as you will run out of those in the little tubes really quick.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then, my magic ingredient is usually some sort of metallic paint or gold leaf. You might remember my gold leaf <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/12/diy-gold-leaf-painting.html">paintings</a>. For this painting, I decided to try something different and I used the Martha Stewart metallic glaze silver paint. It's really thin, and sometimes I mixed it in with my other paints to make them shimmery, and sometimes I just slap big chunks of it on the canvas. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Do what you gotta do.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, here's what I started with, the blob painting.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> There are no rules when it comes to abstract painting. That's the beauty of it. There are things that tend to help though, and sometimes I find that doodling some shapes out with a pencil on your canvas can help you get started. Or you can paint a giant doodle and hang it in your living room and stare at it, annoyed, for several months. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Your call.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwdd74nWtr63VMSSNg1Oghyphenhyphen2eFABs_44WRSabe5VEIrvnuqIWoBThYnd8brkkl1DmmFF4RSa-hMob5yO131p-yDVt8kCEPATQyvFzAfG36hrVDdRaERfeyKACRB-dSEPx010LMrC9S7RK/s1600/WALL+ART+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwdd74nWtr63VMSSNg1Oghyphenhyphen2eFABs_44WRSabe5VEIrvnuqIWoBThYnd8brkkl1DmmFF4RSa-hMob5yO131p-yDVt8kCEPATQyvFzAfG36hrVDdRaERfeyKACRB-dSEPx010LMrC9S7RK/s640/WALL+ART+8.jpg" width="580" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Next, I get a few paper plates out and pick a few paint colors that I want to focus on. I decided to stick with just a few colors this time: yellow, orange, blue, purple, and pink. I squirted some of these colors onto my paper plate and played around with them, mixing in some white and black and deciding which ones I liked best. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once you figure out what colors you like, make a paper plate with some bigger mixtures of those colors.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then, start applying some paint in big swatches. I find that sometimes layering the similar colors next to each other creates a nice visual effect. For example, paint a yellow base, then smudge in some orange over top. Then, when you're done, work in a complementary color nearby, like up near the top of the painting where I added some purple next to the orange.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Really, just go to town with some paint swatches all over your canvas. It almost doesn't matter. The piece will come together more in the next step.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGAr_HADSAMxO8h9P2D37X7Lu5UCb87dmSn7qILKpXwsjKQLClfXFp3PWKEiUgc4Nm4Y1qiRyA3o_bgjBUfYHPZJJ1x9Jbeln7uhg0twIVntFYi1sDCVyZBNfHZz6gYjEv882wT9ve8m1/s1600/WALL+ART+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGAr_HADSAMxO8h9P2D37X7Lu5UCb87dmSn7qILKpXwsjKQLClfXFp3PWKEiUgc4Nm4Y1qiRyA3o_bgjBUfYHPZJJ1x9Jbeln7uhg0twIVntFYi1sDCVyZBNfHZz6gYjEv882wT9ve8m1/s640/WALL+ART+4.JPG" width="552" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My final step is to work some white (and light gray) into the painting. I start from the edges and work my way in. I usually do this part before I let my first layer of paint dry, as that allows me to blend with the colors. I add some metallic paint at the very end.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNlMWLznW24m49Ju0kwHR-0_37c7uG5nYpREVvqSu07btGfQXzaF0_x1bh43XmvWkdV14cg-B7YAda4-VhJq2nNWnqYRCQ2zj70Qa53HpfLYf7KBIKfy9FKu3Qss4HfTlwfJ8sh65po1Nw/s1600/WALL+ART+IDEAS+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNlMWLznW24m49Ju0kwHR-0_37c7uG5nYpREVvqSu07btGfQXzaF0_x1bh43XmvWkdV14cg-B7YAda4-VhJq2nNWnqYRCQ2zj70Qa53HpfLYf7KBIKfy9FKu3Qss4HfTlwfJ8sh65po1Nw/s640/WALL+ART+IDEAS+1.JPG" width="498" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And that's really it. It's not an exact science, so this is a weird thing to share a tutorial about. But, I know that seeing the inner workings, step by step, is so helpful for me when I feel intimidated by something. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And I hope this post helps you guys in that way, too.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97PGE0twJqOLM2e8I3XmV_fPUhO1KcvUvuLvaN4hAxhnPAwx5xz2PWbrNi85L4TXEYBkIPs1r3ll0cQwEGmUxZ-CijRyGMI1ty4d6MtSMLgLwGBXXMNsPP5N3dXKJzh8Gd_deB1npHdOD/s1600/tutorial+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97PGE0twJqOLM2e8I3XmV_fPUhO1KcvUvuLvaN4hAxhnPAwx5xz2PWbrNi85L4TXEYBkIPs1r3ll0cQwEGmUxZ-CijRyGMI1ty4d6MtSMLgLwGBXXMNsPP5N3dXKJzh8Gd_deB1npHdOD/s640/tutorial+3.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcgFuLciLVBA65EqmTWeIjWqE3c-sxkIQiLngtWjf2WVe8RRWBYshTuZfen3GtV7Cb2Xx20re7wpD2zkOPfptoVO2FeDzJHAVOzJ37rOQQ-gbox29h502knRV1e0Vk3wc0HvgDmlxIOZyt/s1600/wall+art+ideas+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="wall art ideas" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcgFuLciLVBA65EqmTWeIjWqE3c-sxkIQiLngtWjf2WVe8RRWBYshTuZfen3GtV7Cb2Xx20re7wpD2zkOPfptoVO2FeDzJHAVOzJ37rOQQ-gbox29h502knRV1e0Vk3wc0HvgDmlxIOZyt/s640/wall+art+ideas+2.jpg" title="How to make your own easy wall art! Love this DIY idea!" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A few last things before I wrap up this post, I went into my living room and took a real life picture for you. There it hangs, in all its glory, surrounded by baby junk and chaos...just as it should be.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNLcHCShkSSW1fDHDho61w1dNlNuTSgB6SfUGFo63U9CnJ_TCW-pm3VpxbNjApPjnoJtIxVcNJD9vjuumepzwYmuKea5U3iOmwd3Awd-ggje-BdY6PR6zsyqXCuJ1LB2BAnJ-I0qHUZS5/s1600/living+room1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNLcHCShkSSW1fDHDho61w1dNlNuTSgB6SfUGFo63U9CnJ_TCW-pm3VpxbNjApPjnoJtIxVcNJD9vjuumepzwYmuKea5U3iOmwd3Awd-ggje-BdY6PR6zsyqXCuJ1LB2BAnJ-I0qHUZS5/s640/living+room1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Because it just feels so much better to be like, I have a pack 'n' play in my living room. It's a phase I'm in.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Because I know so many of you understand.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheLvonXnQ2PwwnG3qpEKU2M6RsF0kVt8RFT8u-wIR6ri0h1qUEdHTQjudJPVlzqJ3qinDVwYm7NCYSs3QWgYK9FkUxpAxdO0CiWl1EhcDuHScjRQncb0MlLPGLjJXQGW3H5jTrjJA8osso/s1600/tutorial+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheLvonXnQ2PwwnG3qpEKU2M6RsF0kVt8RFT8u-wIR6ri0h1qUEdHTQjudJPVlzqJ3qinDVwYm7NCYSs3QWgYK9FkUxpAxdO0CiWl1EhcDuHScjRQncb0MlLPGLjJXQGW3H5jTrjJA8osso/s640/tutorial+4.JPG" width="512" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And last but not least, here's a pic of Ava at Easter brunch with her daddy. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">She says daddy at least 10 times a day right now. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bomhyZGh-dni-jLooVJ4P_K92A50ZwfYeRRQbUOalCzILvviwLabo7OEZtEq7ZBJYbHojMa6s7AzK7A9dkgrBgonSJUPTF9LbPMm0C6YfeBhindEALmVafI7000I3BdJcZ7tjv28rMOX/s1600/AVA+LIVELOVEDIY+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bomhyZGh-dni-jLooVJ4P_K92A50ZwfYeRRQbUOalCzILvviwLabo7OEZtEq7ZBJYbHojMa6s7AzK7A9dkgrBgonSJUPTF9LbPMm0C6YfeBhindEALmVafI7000I3BdJcZ7tjv28rMOX/s640/AVA+LIVELOVEDIY+1.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And here she is with her favorite toy, the remote. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjH28r6-gzURCI00AKKH6Du6_1GIwlTJUIStyfQYyyEGrBihPav-VBpYspirtXJewBfiJ2g0ABhTkUFZkDd4NWOY70qBo49MQiLRuX34zKOf77T24-RSWg8_kxcwLaZq_I8xW3xw3wJRJG/s1600/AVA+LIVELOVEDIY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjH28r6-gzURCI00AKKH6Du6_1GIwlTJUIStyfQYyyEGrBihPav-VBpYspirtXJewBfiJ2g0ABhTkUFZkDd4NWOY70qBo49MQiLRuX34zKOf77T24-RSWg8_kxcwLaZq_I8xW3xw3wJRJG/s640/AVA+LIVELOVEDIY.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thanks for being here, ya'll.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhjcVnFJSDhsnqkSfFYKtLBD1ofCbG6VczGKWQcZf4wlo1W_UbVoJTp-vZjxpc92ViypyuiKEZDSBjH31uNhRAeq5-5B-bk7EWh8JjshCLq4JQ-t829YVeQi3iWO0_DGwxLjIC1joKO_Z/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhjcVnFJSDhsnqkSfFYKtLBD1ofCbG6VczGKWQcZf4wlo1W_UbVoJTp-vZjxpc92ViypyuiKEZDSBjH31uNhRAeq5-5B-bk7EWh8JjshCLq4JQ-t829YVeQi3iWO0_DGwxLjIC1joKO_Z/s1600/signature.png" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJNYMe2Yf8Hmuc9wv4YTqpnTa8FoN5GTQKmWMqGvTr_Xp9_mMiAMYuZgSkEFfb1addf3LrKssdkKxk-O0-ZZn5rtGWfrgaJULT0xLul-7LTJVkgFokKXwGg9qs9sAHmtte3lKkVunmMdRG/s1600/HOW+TO+MAKE+WALL+ART+LIVELOVEDIY.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="wall art ideas" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJNYMe2Yf8Hmuc9wv4YTqpnTa8FoN5GTQKmWMqGvTr_Xp9_mMiAMYuZgSkEFfb1addf3LrKssdkKxk-O0-ZZn5rtGWfrgaJULT0xLul-7LTJVkgFokKXwGg9qs9sAHmtte3lKkVunmMdRG/s640/HOW+TO+MAKE+WALL+ART+LIVELOVEDIY.JPG" title="How to make your own easy wall art! Love this DIY idea!" width="398" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<center>
</center>
<center>
</center>
<center>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
Follow my blog with<br /><a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3384224/?claim=jkea24f9wt7"><img align="middle" alt="bloglovin' photo BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii634/livelovediy/BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" width="30%" /></a></span></center>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<center>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.image-maps.com/m/private/7229/5712-LiveLoveDIYSOCIAL_zps2f8f6f4a.jpg" height="45" id="Image-Maps-Com-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" usemap="#image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" width="300" /><map id="ImageMapsCom-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" name="image-maps-2014-02-16-213014"><area alt="pinterest" coords="43,0,84,43" href="http://www.pinterest.com/livelovediy/" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Pinterest"></area><area alt="facebook" coords="88,1,127,42" href="https://www.facebook.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Facebook"></area><area alt="instagram" coords="132,1,173,42" href="http://instagram.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Instagram"></area><area alt="twitter" coords="177,0,219,41" href="https://twitter.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Twitter"></area><area alt="Image Map" coords="298,43,300,45" href="http://www.image-maps.com/index.php?aff=mapped_users_7229" shape="rect" title="Image Map"></area></map></span><form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=livelovediy/PtTE', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 0px solid #ccc; padding: 0px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email!</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Enter your email address:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></span></form>
</center>
LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-44598051921964472912016-03-14T22:36:00.000-04:002016-03-14T23:49:15.159-04:00DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZlAF2FogYB2D2c13EKWIanpQWlh5l2X4sqEYTd70MNKKKR9Y0JiYFDFLywbinVqLqyGlOmbRu5_8gRn8eV1L0mpXG2NDgcaGvZfYmTkER8-7-oqdaqjBVIgruZPihR6Z02IfpPfwD81K/s1600/diy+bathroom+remodel+ideas+tips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZlAF2FogYB2D2c13EKWIanpQWlh5l2X4sqEYTd70MNKKKR9Y0JiYFDFLywbinVqLqyGlOmbRu5_8gRn8eV1L0mpXG2NDgcaGvZfYmTkER8-7-oqdaqjBVIgruZPihR6Z02IfpPfwD81K/s400/diy+bathroom+remodel+ideas+tips.jpg" title="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget: See how this blogger completely transformed her 1970s bathroom on the cheap just by using paint! LOVE this!" width="255" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, it's been about 3 months since I've last blogged, and I just want to thank you guys for being so supportive via social media. The time constraints that come with being a new mom have been a really difficult adjustment for me, and since I don't have many mom friends in real life, it's been such a soul-balm to have this community of women online who have been down this new-mom road and can offer words of kindness and reassurance when I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I haven't had the time to blog, but <a href="https://www.instagram.com/livelovediy/">Instagram</a> has become my lifeline to you guys in the past 9 months, as it's an easy place I can share things when my day is otherwise jampacked with chasing an energetic little tot around (She's crawling at warp speed now....omg!). So, to all of you who have interacted with me lately....thank you. Your words have done so much for my little world, and I hope in some way that this blog pays it forward and can make someone else feel less alone in their own journey. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, you guys, that's where I am today...chasing this little girl around. She's about to be 9 months old, and my world has been totally rocked. I'm so happy and excited and hopeful and filled with love, and also sometimes I'm just straight up drowning. But, mostly, I just want to be honest about it all because this mom gig is the hardest thing I've ever done, and I think it's a total disservice to other moms to pretend like it's easy. But, I love her like crazy and I wouldn't trade this experience for anything.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I mean, just look at that precious face. I'm pretty sure she was sent to this planet to break me in.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEULYr3VQ8vJIDBFxJ2orFMnHMBs_iQHJTDJbGcAFhYXRIX_xF69LnIJu5iohADqvgQ88ad0cvCT3CxW5d4uZnslf1i3A3SHsg_AYx0D-SOtIvigSjzDNVKb2wTszfn6s0GLHqFXEL07hT/s1600/IMG_1491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEULYr3VQ8vJIDBFxJ2orFMnHMBs_iQHJTDJbGcAFhYXRIX_xF69LnIJu5iohADqvgQ88ad0cvCT3CxW5d4uZnslf1i3A3SHsg_AYx0D-SOtIvigSjzDNVKb2wTszfn6s0GLHqFXEL07hT/s640/IMG_1491.JPG" width="512" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now that the life updates are out of the way, let's move on to my small bathroom remodel.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know that's a weird transition, but how does one really talk about the trials of motherhood and a crappy bathroom remodel in the same post? I'm thinking you just mash them together and pretend like it's normal.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, I recently spruced up our small guest bathroom. It's the same bathroom that I painted stripes in a few years back in <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2012/02/guest-bathroom-makeover-reveal.html">this</a> post that went unexpectedly viral. I know a lot of you guys loved that bathroom, so don't get mad at me. But, sometimes you just get sick of things and need to change it up. And that's how I was feeling about this bathroom.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Just to remind you, here's what this bathroom looked like when we first moved into the house about 5 years ago, before I did anything to it at all.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEice8gvGQPmiNgVYPIDIHnzRer1GSEq1oB9WEK7kjsyLpkKUSnvXVWThVDypGdbkwmRat_d4Jk3hdE6UXiVmxfUBzICyt72wFWWKxJSYthd-2WOem7Xpal_UJdvi-wwYg6lpwzElxoIM4AK/s1600/bathroom+remodel+before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEice8gvGQPmiNgVYPIDIHnzRer1GSEq1oB9WEK7kjsyLpkKUSnvXVWThVDypGdbkwmRat_d4Jk3hdE6UXiVmxfUBzICyt72wFWWKxJSYthd-2WOem7Xpal_UJdvi-wwYg6lpwzElxoIM4AK/s640/bathroom+remodel+before.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And here is what it looks like today, after my most recent updates. The good news for all of us on normal budgets is that this entire bathroom remodel cost me less than $100 and pretty much all it took was some easy paint ideas.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOlEV8Thc1i8Yyf271xCOVMldAUVROaPD_KuesTDf8-AyLLcfLfleuTCEvxcWKOs9k0_bf5C35NpyY2RlXnXD_Nt6dGsEFhqDpCILlUosz07kFjreKHkMpkNmv61t2porSi3Opi52ueHVP/s1600/diy+bathroom+remodel+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOlEV8Thc1i8Yyf271xCOVMldAUVROaPD_KuesTDf8-AyLLcfLfleuTCEvxcWKOs9k0_bf5C35NpyY2RlXnXD_Nt6dGsEFhqDpCILlUosz07kFjreKHkMpkNmv61t2porSi3Opi52ueHVP/s640/diy+bathroom+remodel+ideas.jpg" title="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget: See how this blogger completely transformed her 1970s bathroom on the cheap just by using paint! LOVE this!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's what I did.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I painted the walls with one of my favorite colors, Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray. It's a beautiful deep gray that works really well with almost anything. It feels modern and inviting without feeling too dark or heavy.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For further examples, I also used it <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/11/diy-ikea-rast-hack-with-sunbleached.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/06/the-nursery-reveal.html">here</a>.</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwI7oY21vT9hpLNCDwMcJxxjpBRxP29Q27Na79eRtU9OGHhRx_wEIELlakLijy4_9HabbBlf2GrwKmg8FzDdkDBXLJFPs-dzZnCcmxEKQOFgRmZcWpp5r4FhK3RsvWPko08dCdEPkh3Ui/s1600/diy+bathroom+remodel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwI7oY21vT9hpLNCDwMcJxxjpBRxP29Q27Na79eRtU9OGHhRx_wEIELlakLijy4_9HabbBlf2GrwKmg8FzDdkDBXLJFPs-dzZnCcmxEKQOFgRmZcWpp5r4FhK3RsvWPko08dCdEPkh3Ui/s640/diy+bathroom+remodel.jpg" title="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget: See how this blogger completely transformed her 1970s bathroom on the cheap just by using paint! LOVE this!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also removed the builder grade bathroom mirrors and hung a framed mirror I found at a salvage shop several years ago. It was originally a gross bronze color, but I spray painted it with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0010OFF32/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0010OFF32&linkCode=as2&tag=li0a6a-20&linkId=3KH5CFJTDQ3ZUVM4">Krylon Champagne Nouveau</a> (affiliate link) and I love the way it turned out. I kinda think it makes the space.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also, fyi, that is the my favorite spray paint color. Hands down. I use it on all my mirror frames, including the one in the master <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/02/master-bedroom-updates-and-hot-pink.html">bedroom</a> that so many of you guys ask me about.</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWRmuprWDXD5uK_3dcwIk4WQdgqb5oZ8NZFTRClW_SwRa2Lqj73CxI5x10mknd2sQrEo0TwNRwYjzLhZ-JrbCyevdU4ZyH8RQjSN40zHnU4PCylOAs7BOMhta_IBnQaYXXP9DpJ_K6LRX/s1600/diy+bathroom+mirror+ideas+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWRmuprWDXD5uK_3dcwIk4WQdgqb5oZ8NZFTRClW_SwRa2Lqj73CxI5x10mknd2sQrEo0TwNRwYjzLhZ-JrbCyevdU4ZyH8RQjSN40zHnU4PCylOAs7BOMhta_IBnQaYXXP9DpJ_K6LRX/s640/diy+bathroom+mirror+ideas+1.jpg" title="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget: See how this blogger completely transformed her 1970s bathroom on the cheap just by using paint! LOVE this!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The bathroom vanity I painted with some oil based enamel paint (the same paint that I used on <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/08/how-to-paint-furniture-with-oil-paint.html">this</a> dresser), and then I updated the hardware with some great polished nickel pulls.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNBJ7j87LT46Xnf4hzFNX1RtKTpyN_3uhRP1RCWpw9pnNpeigJKw_OrDQRb734hZXnTiAZyfgnXwk14q1XZE2x08YXL9HAV3d2uMP_WbBrbYHsM4xk4BsgI5X0phVAzRGfAd1rStqShg1/s1600/polished+nickel+hardware+home+depot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNBJ7j87LT46Xnf4hzFNX1RtKTpyN_3uhRP1RCWpw9pnNpeigJKw_OrDQRb734hZXnTiAZyfgnXwk14q1XZE2x08YXL9HAV3d2uMP_WbBrbYHsM4xk4BsgI5X0phVAzRGfAd1rStqShg1/s640/polished+nickel+hardware+home+depot.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And then, also, because this vanity is stinky and old and from the 1970's, I took out all the drawers and painted the insides of each drawer with oil paint in the color Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze. I also removed the old faucet and drain, and replaced it with a new brushed nickel bathroom faucet. Nothing fancy, but with paint, new hardware, and a new faucet, you can really spruce up an otherwise outdated vanity.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBgQj_wks9mLCbToz116ZIprVGH5ZQTd66iXQdmPLBL-baGOvW22XRTTq_q0XqPhvps78kWij6cTLa-0_v0VICxHiXIOPmtqXY8gEAod5avKv3w7omOuNVGiUS6gq0AxZvjJgq7hyphenhyphen4qHnQ/s1600/diy+bathroom+mirror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBgQj_wks9mLCbToz116ZIprVGH5ZQTd66iXQdmPLBL-baGOvW22XRTTq_q0XqPhvps78kWij6cTLa-0_v0VICxHiXIOPmtqXY8gEAod5avKv3w7omOuNVGiUS6gq0AxZvjJgq7hyphenhyphen4qHnQ/s640/diy+bathroom+mirror.jpg" title="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget: See how this blogger completely transformed her 1970s bathroom on the cheap just by using paint! LOVE this!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The countertop is just your basic white faux-marble. It's not great, but when you update everything around it, you almost don't even see it. In an ideal world, I would just gut this vanity and start fresh, but I have a child to feed.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiC7cs8Lt9F8F_CrYq1HgECATYIq7LrYGy3-y7b5zhfYv9FhkPGM8r9FdBZGGBpiiPjyozNfrVFwrDR6qf0wcO1fMJt-zg4sn6dq8J2FFdLC-lLqhGTamGKptgl38Xr-Zrc_IHljBy2RhN/s1600/diy+bathroom+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiC7cs8Lt9F8F_CrYq1HgECATYIq7LrYGy3-y7b5zhfYv9FhkPGM8r9FdBZGGBpiiPjyozNfrVFwrDR6qf0wcO1fMJt-zg4sn6dq8J2FFdLC-lLqhGTamGKptgl38Xr-Zrc_IHljBy2RhN/s640/diy+bathroom+ideas.jpg" title="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget: See how this blogger completely transformed her 1970s bathroom on the cheap just by using paint! LOVE this!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I added some artwork to the little half wall. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nothing fancy, just some Homegoods loot.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGB8ShmTuhgoghJbtx_o4aGy5W8lYAIzIu6GHF3A3sdw_kUAEkwdrRWl8Zzoux_uwv5lLD33kSivWDShlmArmu3W8venQnO5pHMNgR51E32a4DWd2pDxa4ttf4TD6ddS9aWrJf3as9bgG3/s1600/homegoods+bathroom+mirror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGB8ShmTuhgoghJbtx_o4aGy5W8lYAIzIu6GHF3A3sdw_kUAEkwdrRWl8Zzoux_uwv5lLD33kSivWDShlmArmu3W8venQnO5pHMNgR51E32a4DWd2pDxa4ttf4TD6ddS9aWrJf3as9bgG3/s640/homegoods+bathroom+mirror.jpg" title="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget: See how this blogger completely transformed her 1970s bathroom on the cheap just by using paint! LOVE this!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Also from Homegoods....the little peony arrangements and the black and white horse art over the toilet.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFm2U1ybLMM7JtVI8-Qglj62CBJ-1WeFtvsZUK7pD2f6XQjSCVqbNCej7aMj2OTz9-BO5mIr4hR4GiN0_A8so862tU46Nt_XT5O_ZnWS-1qsWMTqLUGz-aO3736HSuTklmUf8_muL24mSd/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFm2U1ybLMM7JtVI8-Qglj62CBJ-1WeFtvsZUK7pD2f6XQjSCVqbNCej7aMj2OTz9-BO5mIr4hR4GiN0_A8so862tU46Nt_XT5O_ZnWS-1qsWMTqLUGz-aO3736HSuTklmUf8_muL24mSd/s640/9.jpg" title="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget: See how this blogger completely transformed her 1970s bathroom on the cheap just by using paint! LOVE this!" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And that's pretty much the whole makeover!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Oh, and one last thing....something that I think makes a huge difference. I painted the bathroom tile grout. I did a tutorial about this years ago when I painted our kitchen and master bathroom tile, and it continues to be one of my most popular <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2012/08/how-to-restore-grout.html">posts</a> ever. So, that leads me to believe that I'm not the only one trying to figure out how to clean tile grout. :)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, when it came to this guest bathroom, the tile in here isn't bad. It's just old white marble tile, but the grout was 30 years old and really needed some help. So, here's the before pic. You can see how dingy the grout is.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIsF_C0EnMF_2NeuzqOQtbbPoCTXyj6PJ7TH0rgxPQxEk1RUeZo7OYAiFWtc57_ZIj4FTbmOI8Xn8GvOLD5leQ-CZRdv343mkEh1oC9QlLrdUjfvVEVVlpNuh1H10zjNb0uJfjWBdkNlbV/s1600/bathroom+remodel+before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIsF_C0EnMF_2NeuzqOQtbbPoCTXyj6PJ7TH0rgxPQxEk1RUeZo7OYAiFWtc57_ZIj4FTbmOI8Xn8GvOLD5leQ-CZRdv343mkEh1oC9QlLrdUjfvVEVVlpNuh1H10zjNb0uJfjWBdkNlbV/s640/bathroom+remodel+before.jpg" title="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget: See how this blogger completely transformed her 1970s bathroom on the cheap just by using paint! LOVE this!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And here's a pic after I painted the walls. You can see just how much of an eyesore the grout was. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6A5xv2X3TYUXPghE7hT6ACL3MLBlb8ySj0pC7Ne19Hz-qFzDSTfbTlbrH7rw94QTr-PmfkYzEgUC5OTUBGe7XAyBYtE9KBGDvanja4yob5MPHOBVIt-gi-4cYTcEwLNlU5XOvMt4T0zR/s1600/bathroom+tile+cleaner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6A5xv2X3TYUXPghE7hT6ACL3MLBlb8ySj0pC7Ne19Hz-qFzDSTfbTlbrH7rw94QTr-PmfkYzEgUC5OTUBGe7XAyBYtE9KBGDvanja4yob5MPHOBVIt-gi-4cYTcEwLNlU5XOvMt4T0zR/s640/bathroom+tile+cleaner.jpg" title="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget: See how this blogger completely transformed her 1970s bathroom on the cheap just by using paint! LOVE this!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The product I use to paint grout is called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B63Z2NE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01B63Z2NE&linkCode=as2&tag=li0a6a-20&linkId=FP33R3UNANP7CINN">Polyblend Grout Renew</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=li0a6a-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B01B63Z2NE" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> (affiliate link), and for this bathroom I used it in Snow White. I probably used 10% of this bottle when I painted the tile grout, so a little goes a long way. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4WU587rBjAXWj-4sfCNsk0gPYEq-q1Den1Mpt6ZIF5sHX4hRnZ2fwzcDCT7AXGbjnggitvjeyJk0cT0wQsU1EK_jzfsEAsZ4BoF9je_hHMD7iEP6YF7TZzWKMGskBHmHdh0cnsitWR92/s1600/bathroom+tile+grout+tip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="tile grout cleaner tips" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4WU587rBjAXWj-4sfCNsk0gPYEq-q1Den1Mpt6ZIF5sHX4hRnZ2fwzcDCT7AXGbjnggitvjeyJk0cT0wQsU1EK_jzfsEAsZ4BoF9je_hHMD7iEP6YF7TZzWKMGskBHmHdh0cnsitWR92/s640/bathroom+tile+grout+tip.jpg" title="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget: See how this blogger completely transformed her 1970s bathroom on the cheap just by using paint! LOVE this!" width="434" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And I won't repeat the tutorial (because my original <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2012/08/how-to-restore-grout.html">post</a> goes through the entire process in detail), but let me just tell you....this is the easiest project. It's time consuming, but it's so easy. All you need is a toothbrush and some paper towels. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>And maybe a glass a wine to distract you from how tedious it is. </i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJOwVn57d7JtgukwzBeRg3V0KAEH3npATOrUtviIm086622x249XbQo_9uz4AR1kVMJ5m4VloBaVOpzJNoHw_yiMZwDumtY1rnyP_GYEQo_gYwD6GNgObaUtUDjwxP1TYqbJGMdnJKpTn/s1600/diy+grout+cleaning+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="tile grout cleaning ideas tips" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJOwVn57d7JtgukwzBeRg3V0KAEH3npATOrUtviIm086622x249XbQo_9uz4AR1kVMJ5m4VloBaVOpzJNoHw_yiMZwDumtY1rnyP_GYEQo_gYwD6GNgObaUtUDjwxP1TYqbJGMdnJKpTn/s640/diy+grout+cleaning+ideas.jpg" title="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget: See how this blogger completely transformed her 1970s bathroom on the cheap just by using paint! LOVE this!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You can really see what a big difference it makes when you see the painted tile grout next to the dirty tile grout.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUxfS-UwObjuuAzMRU1yeuU31FhFDuPwEwL33a3fAgO6lxMOe4MItwGzrFIC9yyN3HtnjE2cTiNl5obK5rjL5K9VSE7veB4ao7eZV6n-cPQ88rBBRuK62_lJkeDE-If_5FqhRrUflUVSJ/s1600/clean+bathroom+tile+grout.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="diy tile grout cleaner" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUxfS-UwObjuuAzMRU1yeuU31FhFDuPwEwL33a3fAgO6lxMOe4MItwGzrFIC9yyN3HtnjE2cTiNl5obK5rjL5K9VSE7veB4ao7eZV6n-cPQ88rBBRuK62_lJkeDE-If_5FqhRrUflUVSJ/s640/clean+bathroom+tile+grout.JPG" title="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget: See how this blogger completely transformed her 1970s bathroom on the cheap just by using paint! LOVE this!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And once it's done, it's crazy...it truly feels like a new bathroom floor. I've done this in three separate rooms now, and </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">in my master <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2012/07/decorating-bathroom.html">bathroom</a>, it held up f</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">or nearly 3 years before it needed a touch up. So, totally worth the effort.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYLWFpxqMwy0C5qAABrl2Ds6f4rb82jXErWZP1-NYJsBY98wuEncCc9bsmAAnF742c4E1nxmWmY8TkyWi8BKBfmLPBgZdwcSXn0Phxbm15wDAEqSgu4YqM5g7AzW2g1aFEkDmNe3PdHMh/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="diy tile grout cleaner ideas" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYLWFpxqMwy0C5qAABrl2Ds6f4rb82jXErWZP1-NYJsBY98wuEncCc9bsmAAnF742c4E1nxmWmY8TkyWi8BKBfmLPBgZdwcSXn0Phxbm15wDAEqSgu4YqM5g7AzW2g1aFEkDmNe3PdHMh/s640/10.jpg" title="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget: See how this blogger completely transformed her 1970s bathroom on the cheap just by using paint! LOVE this!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">And that's the new guest bathroom, you guys. It's crazy how happy this crappy little room makes me. Nothing in here is new, but I spent a lot of time in here by myself, sitting on the floor in sweatpants so ugly they should be banned, scrubbing tile with a toothbrush, listening to podcasts, and enjoying a few spare moments of private peace knowing my precious baby was snoozing blissfully in the next room. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><i>So, is this what 32 is supposed to feel like?</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI28tU2GoK7iNo-5QtKtToXpblBMVjHXd8zpQMYokzzL4L__DG6LXUrju4sIXDiPXSRfJeXDp5zmY94-Ld5w-t7JYKOY8pCi7KaMjRLiZDOn0NZjYBLrhQMPS6EmS_iPP_Vc_8ArGlhojV/s1600/diy+bathroom+remodel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI28tU2GoK7iNo-5QtKtToXpblBMVjHXd8zpQMYokzzL4L__DG6LXUrju4sIXDiPXSRfJeXDp5zmY94-Ld5w-t7JYKOY8pCi7KaMjRLiZDOn0NZjYBLrhQMPS6EmS_iPP_Vc_8ArGlhojV/s640/diy+bathroom+remodel.jpg" title="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget: See how this blogger completely transformed her 1970s bathroom on the cheap just by using paint! LOVE this!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFHwPa882yuZ8PFjQwA0Wve22VT9Bqkfdr6kcCaFeBD4g_RvK8pjLVf7lLjUdeP_rYtUE0ffA9QYxjT9gXyLt-NNHJlPrK4prDoflHw2do18MuXldv7M5KM0I6cLhXVDOwJh-r-7RueEqp/s1600/diy+bathroom+mirror+ideas+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFHwPa882yuZ8PFjQwA0Wve22VT9Bqkfdr6kcCaFeBD4g_RvK8pjLVf7lLjUdeP_rYtUE0ffA9QYxjT9gXyLt-NNHJlPrK4prDoflHw2do18MuXldv7M5KM0I6cLhXVDOwJh-r-7RueEqp/s640/diy+bathroom+mirror+ideas+1.jpg" title="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget: See how this blogger completely transformed her 1970s bathroom on the cheap just by using paint! LOVE this!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpmmtdL5ddNQx6kDOqYMOThuJqFwYfQli50c-N0rlznP3NpfHomGItBBbSVXO421yOdZDMoUMGR1EKm8lJlFc_0NLm8f74hgPpmfPn3Y7BlYJFLIQxk_WNI9xstMs0at2Ni8HISUPkLre/s1600/diy+bathroom+remodel+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpmmtdL5ddNQx6kDOqYMOThuJqFwYfQli50c-N0rlznP3NpfHomGItBBbSVXO421yOdZDMoUMGR1EKm8lJlFc_0NLm8f74hgPpmfPn3Y7BlYJFLIQxk_WNI9xstMs0at2Ni8HISUPkLre/s640/diy+bathroom+remodel+ideas.jpg" title="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget: See how this blogger completely transformed her 1970s bathroom on the cheap just by using paint! LOVE this!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Love ya'll.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thanks for being here. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've got some major things in the works for this spring and summer, and I'll definitely be blogging about it, so I hope to be around a little more than I have been. Fingers crossed.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">xo,</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYoECWAiKdAo5FzP3GIrDclg4ePJVaaNUl0IjIjAf3dbaI6Fw_HhHtmBqh4_TvCNdas3f9mga9AtMoymXrPeRoigSEQkT7gd4bdLFWHwCFdYiAvFo0o5L8KrMEMNaDaqu7qIeyFRLZZye/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYoECWAiKdAo5FzP3GIrDclg4ePJVaaNUl0IjIjAf3dbaI6Fw_HhHtmBqh4_TvCNdas3f9mga9AtMoymXrPeRoigSEQkT7gd4bdLFWHwCFdYiAvFo0o5L8KrMEMNaDaqu7qIeyFRLZZye/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZlAF2FogYB2D2c13EKWIanpQWlh5l2X4sqEYTd70MNKKKR9Y0JiYFDFLywbinVqLqyGlOmbRu5_8gRn8eV1L0mpXG2NDgcaGvZfYmTkER8-7-oqdaqjBVIgruZPihR6Z02IfpPfwD81K/s1600/diy+bathroom+remodel+ideas+tips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZlAF2FogYB2D2c13EKWIanpQWlh5l2X4sqEYTd70MNKKKR9Y0JiYFDFLywbinVqLqyGlOmbRu5_8gRn8eV1L0mpXG2NDgcaGvZfYmTkER8-7-oqdaqjBVIgruZPihR6Z02IfpPfwD81K/s640/diy+bathroom+remodel+ideas+tips.jpg" title="DIY Bathroom Remodel on a Budget: See how this blogger completely transformed her 1970s bathroom on the cheap just by using paint! LOVE this!" width="408" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<center>
</center>
<center>
</center>
<center>
Follow my blog with<br /><a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3384224/?claim=jkea24f9wt7"><img align="middle" alt="bloglovin' photo BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii634/livelovediy/BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" width="30%" /></a></center>
<br />
<center>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.image-maps.com/m/private/7229/5712-LiveLoveDIYSOCIAL_zps2f8f6f4a.jpg" height="45" id="Image-Maps-Com-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" usemap="#image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" width="300" /><map id="ImageMapsCom-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" name="image-maps-2014-02-16-213014"><area alt="pinterest" coords="43,0,84,43" href="http://www.pinterest.com/livelovediy/" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Pinterest"></area><area alt="facebook" coords="88,1,127,42" href="https://www.facebook.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Facebook"></area><area alt="instagram" coords="132,1,173,42" href="http://instagram.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Instagram"></area><area alt="twitter" coords="177,0,219,41" href="https://twitter.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Twitter"></area><area alt="Image Map" coords="298,43,300,45" href="http://www.image-maps.com/index.php?aff=mapped_users_7229" shape="rect" title="Image Map"></area></map><form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=livelovediy/PtTE', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 0px solid #ccc; padding: 0px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small;">Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email!</span></b><br />
Enter your email address:<br />
<input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br />
<input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form>
</center>
LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-58879833625586433482015-12-10T16:18:00.001-05:002015-12-11T13:21:42.610-05:00Home Office Decorating Ideas: My Latest Office Makeover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6byr-hbZE1r6OvlxbfexvRUnIrq40Y7at3fMQLHK5cbO-Gr8heaTGoeYIzfRwGvFlqFrNtmitaIIuFb0AYm5KC79JAMkMEyit6P6kv6gcmn6Kqu4EdNvbNY9jrTvR5U2zxufzC5ySjBIJ/s1600/office+makeover+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="decorating ideas" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6byr-hbZE1r6OvlxbfexvRUnIrq40Y7at3fMQLHK5cbO-Gr8heaTGoeYIzfRwGvFlqFrNtmitaIIuFb0AYm5KC79JAMkMEyit6P6kv6gcmn6Kqu4EdNvbNY9jrTvR5U2zxufzC5ySjBIJ/s400/office+makeover+1.jpg" title="Home Office Decorating Ideas: My latest office makeover!" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Welcome to the fourth time I've redone my home office.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's the thing: Having a new baby makes it almost impossible to get anything done. I've all but lost my ability to focus and my desire to be productive has left the building (because when Ava is asleep and I have a free minute, I usually just want to eat chips and watch RHOBH.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>You understand.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I know that as time goes on I will find a better balance and everything will make sense to me yet again. But, in the meantime, I thought it might be helpful to come up with some decorating ideas and redo my office so that it's a place that inspires me to sit down and be productive. So, this week I did just that. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And you guys, it actually kinda helped and put some pep back in my step. There is truly something to be said for making your surroundings pretty. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We'll start with a before picture. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Because my questionable interior design skills are on full display, and it will make you feel better about life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><i>Plus, there are two empty lint rollers in a glass bowl, so there's that.</i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix_4AzJXxOMxNOGSpCyp2DXEmCnN8yU0GjAfDLn0C1q08lVu6MRxi2lJVpoA3qMeJnkz1u77f4ja5HiMz2XskIN6ti07hIHmWYPGWWARdj4c2LDC3S8QhGWk-1iYxtdXCPY6lHaR3k3rTL/s1600/2012-01-17+15.40.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix_4AzJXxOMxNOGSpCyp2DXEmCnN8yU0GjAfDLn0C1q08lVu6MRxi2lJVpoA3qMeJnkz1u77f4ja5HiMz2XskIN6ti07hIHmWYPGWWARdj4c2LDC3S8QhGWk-1iYxtdXCPY6lHaR3k3rTL/s640/2012-01-17+15.40.11.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And here's what the office looks like today.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUe8idABE74-igLsmW5nxxypmm4YIBq7IWTDpugmcqtOkPTr1QO2G89TBR1YS2WpwFIdonMeFyK2nnTuSbY_o-_K_twLWaO5ABuNTwwEq6d2p_DW_p42cl8ZveRoq1vvpUWVGsLVtjI82O/s1600/4+revised+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="decorating ideas" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUe8idABE74-igLsmW5nxxypmm4YIBq7IWTDpugmcqtOkPTr1QO2G89TBR1YS2WpwFIdonMeFyK2nnTuSbY_o-_K_twLWaO5ABuNTwwEq6d2p_DW_p42cl8ZveRoq1vvpUWVGsLVtjI82O/s640/4+revised+1.jpg" title="Home Office Decorating Ideas: My latest office makeover!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hung a new light fixture, added a new rug, made some <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/10/diy-no-sew-two-toned-curtains.html">curtains</a>, made a painting, and brought in my silver leaf <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2013/09/diy-silver-leaf-vanity.html">desk</a> from the bedroom.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CLWuKuUXp1p_5LaBUe5YNycqnwI5KRpeBwUgYbnjL7ZPMfkhp9CKv9hcPD-xe_swt5GucFnyM1q5XLPqZRZJR_RghyphenhyphenvmMPN4j5tRyU1NuhxyC4BJ-5gqa0CLCpoxgPpv6DaUl1AdG4tL/s1600/7+revised.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="decorating ideas" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CLWuKuUXp1p_5LaBUe5YNycqnwI5KRpeBwUgYbnjL7ZPMfkhp9CKv9hcPD-xe_swt5GucFnyM1q5XLPqZRZJR_RghyphenhyphenvmMPN4j5tRyU1NuhxyC4BJ-5gqa0CLCpoxgPpv6DaUl1AdG4tL/s640/7+revised.jpg" title="Home Office Decorating Ideas: My latest office makeover!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I added a cheap bookshelf I already had in the corner to hold all of my art supplies. It's too small for that nook, but like who has the time to worry about such things. So, for now, I just hung that <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/05/thrifty-shopping-tips-tricks-how-to.html">mirror</a> (that I spray painted silver) and smiled and moved on.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwVvoULhetdxEJvpn-ELW56fbi4v0pFQfwtDrzACcS_m03JBPad3fDFnAqlpOg6L-Wned9idqIl1R1h4liEptCFNXZ-Hw32JDwFe7HqGzrfiuF3olHOZurUfUkDAJtGhmInN-GngvX8Lm/s1600/1+revised.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="decorating ideas" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwVvoULhetdxEJvpn-ELW56fbi4v0pFQfwtDrzACcS_m03JBPad3fDFnAqlpOg6L-Wned9idqIl1R1h4liEptCFNXZ-Hw32JDwFe7HqGzrfiuF3olHOZurUfUkDAJtGhmInN-GngvX8Lm/s640/1+revised.jpg" title="Home Office Decorating Ideas: My latest office makeover!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's a closeup.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKmlMS4T6xjOmzIb6mne8TqEeuUqnSIRfhjcw8MPYuVhyphenhyphenXolSYymfU27yA8zEXIzMfo4q0cS8f_K7J3zQHS7MZHNBQLosK0x8U8128HMalx2K9ApLWrHj9RvWMBwMuY8La-Le8Vnlaf0K/s1600/2+revised.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="decorating ideas" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKmlMS4T6xjOmzIb6mne8TqEeuUqnSIRfhjcw8MPYuVhyphenhyphenXolSYymfU27yA8zEXIzMfo4q0cS8f_K7J3zQHS7MZHNBQLosK0x8U8128HMalx2K9ApLWrHj9RvWMBwMuY8La-Le8Vnlaf0K/s640/2+revised.jpg" title="Home Office Decorating Ideas: My latest office makeover!" width="426" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>A quick shelf inventory for the curious sorts: </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Top shelf: some notebooks and magazines, my favorite new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594634718/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1594634718&linkCode=as2&tag=li0a6a-20&linkId=6FT735FRAOVBT5TS" rel="nofollow">book</a> (That's an affiliate link, but seriously, it's my favorite. Helped this ol' gal get back up on the horse again.), a gold jar filled with my paintbrushes, a thrift store ginger jar that just looked so hawt right there, a canvas I painted pink and then ran out of steam to finish. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Middle shelf: big tubes of pink paint, a big bowl filled with little tubes of paint, and then a bunch of different pots of metallic paint. Nothing too exciting here.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Bottom shelf: So much spray paint (Years ago when I first started blogging, Rustoleum sent me a whole lotta spray paint. And now I just hoard them, hoping that I will one day use them or that a friend will come over and lament about needing spray paint and then I can be like 'Come. Follow me.', and then I will make a big sweeping hand gesture and reveal this shelf. Obviously cementing our friendship forever.)</i></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Moving on, here's the room from the opposite direction, looking back towards the hallway.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7mYsqLUx3cHtMYoTiZjxauBt8GRwQJuRJNTu4VodHbL2qXmkx4jsogg9xjdW_Ya0dWmjSx608bxDxjL04cKO7zJ3-oyz4YVdv_g1HKe3sE-7IgjZo7x53Owkp6o1esHTqLkXSFdjmK21/s1600/5+revised.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="decorating ideas" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7mYsqLUx3cHtMYoTiZjxauBt8GRwQJuRJNTu4VodHbL2qXmkx4jsogg9xjdW_Ya0dWmjSx608bxDxjL04cKO7zJ3-oyz4YVdv_g1HKe3sE-7IgjZo7x53Owkp6o1esHTqLkXSFdjmK21/s640/5+revised.jpg" title="Home Office Decorating Ideas: My latest office makeover!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You may remember that my silver distressed office desk was originally from a thrift store and I spent <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2013/09/diy-silver-leaf-vanity.html">days of my life</a> applying silver leaf to it. It originally looked like the below picture. I added a piece of beveled glass to the top of the desk so that holds up better.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnIYv4AQMF-KoiUIiUugbzQCJzWN84Ne7lp4S7p4TDQoSJhhjo4xBr2E4ZrGwJU9cDS_uZ0Nft6wR6EFWuY9xslkyb4X7a5eP29cSZ9uJmTuuWa48ky7t0l5wGDdXrpXNhwdc-2IPzX_Nk/s1600/Silver+leaf+mirrored+vanity+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="how to paint furniture" border="0" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnIYv4AQMF-KoiUIiUugbzQCJzWN84Ne7lp4S7p4TDQoSJhhjo4xBr2E4ZrGwJU9cDS_uZ0Nft6wR6EFWuY9xslkyb4X7a5eP29cSZ9uJmTuuWa48ky7t0l5wGDdXrpXNhwdc-2IPzX_Nk/s640/Silver+leaf+mirrored+vanity+%25283%2529.jpg" title="" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had been using it in our bedroom as a vanity table for years, but long gone are the days that I sit down and do my hair and makeup, so now it will have better use as an office desk.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-KzOu3-7vUkUdomLFEiqCCh8zWh467o_zgw5RG0OzAmrR2hw5Ou8OYMkFoOhpYkagj1HfZW7GZSa2KQrLf1J8Af2Ppyrq95fc_XxA6DKpGuc9JPZcBaDllojBZDrgrwKhyphenhyphenYsLTlhUpWe/s1600/8+revised.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="decorating ideas" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-KzOu3-7vUkUdomLFEiqCCh8zWh467o_zgw5RG0OzAmrR2hw5Ou8OYMkFoOhpYkagj1HfZW7GZSa2KQrLf1J8Af2Ppyrq95fc_XxA6DKpGuc9JPZcBaDllojBZDrgrwKhyphenhyphenYsLTlhUpWe/s640/8+revised.jpg" title="Home Office Decorating Ideas: My latest office makeover!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A few other office decor items of note: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.rugsusa.com/rugsusa/rugs/rugs-usa-el01-floral-rose/ivory/200UNEL01A-508.html">This</a> rug. It's the Datura Floral Rose rug from <a href="http://www.rugsusa.com/rugsusa/control/rugs">Rugs USA</a> and it's just awesome. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It totally makes the entire room, let's be honest.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZGVy5R4XsSOt9drPeQCtGN_WbE24uswWv5NB3DWUH6f9rl8OcdRj3NQityGJcfxx6lucAjft1nhg9vyNo_uwhxi15t2RZ8duOrr2pUs0d9rkWFzTlId6YB1DVpeJCEBU2NvyUKwW3Tfs/s1600/2+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="floral rug" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZGVy5R4XsSOt9drPeQCtGN_WbE24uswWv5NB3DWUH6f9rl8OcdRj3NQityGJcfxx6lucAjft1nhg9vyNo_uwhxi15t2RZ8duOrr2pUs0d9rkWFzTlId6YB1DVpeJCEBU2NvyUKwW3Tfs/s640/2+copy.jpg" title="Home Office Decorating Ideas: My latest office makeover!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Also of note, the hardwood flooring is the white washed flooring we installed throughout the entire upstairs in </span><a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/05/our-new-white-washed-hardwood-flooring.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;">this</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> post and the paint colors in this room are Valspar Homestead Resort Jefferson White (on the walls) and Behr Ultra Pure White (on the trim).</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also hung the <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/12/diy-gold-leaf-painting.html">gold leaf painting</a> that I made the other day in here. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1JHFBreUYTdKvDYN3oh9y9PgV_jSyucX2CRQsuR6bSOQ6kimPNKhJkxovQBA6_clCmXucSfozTUQxLA8hjIIvwOKzXYvfiHOVoIvGbHbvBFLeoSjKl-NsQXRqeDghyphenhyphenLTbbv754hgLBxp/s1600/diy+art+ideas+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="gold painting" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1JHFBreUYTdKvDYN3oh9y9PgV_jSyucX2CRQsuR6bSOQ6kimPNKhJkxovQBA6_clCmXucSfozTUQxLA8hjIIvwOKzXYvfiHOVoIvGbHbvBFLeoSjKl-NsQXRqeDghyphenhyphenLTbbv754hgLBxp/s640/diy+art+ideas+1.jpg" title="DIY gold leaf painting" width="422" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This room really has multiple purposes for me now. I use it to sit at the desk and write my blog posts (I'm sitting here as I write this.) and I also like to come in here at night sometimes after Ava is asleep and sit on the floor and paint. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, in real life, things tend to look like this:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCWYFF4jZGF7hxrHcYrrOwcmBb3_twMrY4C3_UHbOmhUmkOuvomX_VQVipoERiWw9-b12aUIxNKdMBmLtQmuer0N2qRIvQZdmCZOxKfjjTeDig_AxvKDzAb9FibmTPs_sIc3Wc1FYKYTK/s1600/art+studio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="decorating ideas" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCWYFF4jZGF7hxrHcYrrOwcmBb3_twMrY4C3_UHbOmhUmkOuvomX_VQVipoERiWw9-b12aUIxNKdMBmLtQmuer0N2qRIvQZdmCZOxKfjjTeDig_AxvKDzAb9FibmTPs_sIc3Wc1FYKYTK/s640/art+studio.jpg" title="Home Office Decorating Ideas: My Latest Office Makeover" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's a painting I've been working on this week. Nothing special, just something fun to do.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4-YT1145rqH0rfz04cu5HOIP95yIAJRAkQHyaDFoUFf-m_K8rbt2ias6SFbWgGzYlushRAdTvnNXPcl_W2HO5WdhSlqUA2lU4kI9-zQy92TPqhOX9mB5vGYXsKHY1-GxSG6fpD27ZeOR/s1600/painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4-YT1145rqH0rfz04cu5HOIP95yIAJRAkQHyaDFoUFf-m_K8rbt2ias6SFbWgGzYlushRAdTvnNXPcl_W2HO5WdhSlqUA2lU4kI9-zQy92TPqhOX9mB5vGYXsKHY1-GxSG6fpD27ZeOR/s640/painting.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Because when mini-Jesse is asleep, sometimes the mama needs some me-time. :)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfp-nWPyTNIyyQGOV9zSUb2c-upoFZTcL7zk1jmfbHkKJ9xP6sIMzIrLCnc4VnmJHlXqabzEQxMkFa5P6DOq5rijn5k5omSfguXBZNtjoPXch0wvMpRTr-k8KKoFtbx12lMJuevdSU2CWV/s1600/ava+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfp-nWPyTNIyyQGOV9zSUb2c-upoFZTcL7zk1jmfbHkKJ9xP6sIMzIrLCnc4VnmJHlXqabzEQxMkFa5P6DOq5rijn5k5omSfguXBZNtjoPXch0wvMpRTr-k8KKoFtbx12lMJuevdSU2CWV/s400/ava+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thanks for being here, y'all. It means so much to me. I'll be taking a few weeks off to spend time with family for Christmas. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and I'll see you in the new year!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">'Til then,</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHlR3Rgohc9mhCMfGnzGyneS7lQuxn0X_jUUnfCdd0k2WcowRUZa6NO-sCbnfzK_TVuLxMoAwAIhUTWizhVaLSXrlOzkN-3yTpn3sQu1HdKJq0LBKTIOSC4RE96toX-ou6xq-hyWiYAub/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHlR3Rgohc9mhCMfGnzGyneS7lQuxn0X_jUUnfCdd0k2WcowRUZa6NO-sCbnfzK_TVuLxMoAwAIhUTWizhVaLSXrlOzkN-3yTpn3sQu1HdKJq0LBKTIOSC4RE96toX-ou6xq-hyWiYAub/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">P.S. You can see my other versions of the office (some good, some bad) <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/08/our-1970s-house-makeover-part-9-office.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2012/02/our-home-office-makeover.html">here</a>.</span></i></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHrp2OxQSS-HqlWXPlmI_cElqs-fs4_RdEefztqdylQSqdk3BwZO8_KY3BWI5QVfirgwNV99VVylJUAC68m3yE27rAViNBkW6AbQctE-aT5SH2_EO7MvcoNpuh8wYln111nFHpn2KjWE4/s1600/office+makeover+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="decorating ideas" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHrp2OxQSS-HqlWXPlmI_cElqs-fs4_RdEefztqdylQSqdk3BwZO8_KY3BWI5QVfirgwNV99VVylJUAC68m3yE27rAViNBkW6AbQctE-aT5SH2_EO7MvcoNpuh8wYln111nFHpn2KjWE4/s640/office+makeover+1.jpg" title="Home Office Decorating Ideas: My latest office makeover!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div>
<br />
<center>
</center>
<center>
</center>
<center>
Follow my blog with<br /><a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3384224/?claim=jkea24f9wt7"><img align="middle" alt="bloglovin' photo BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii634/livelovediy/BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" width="30%" /></a></center>
<br />
<center>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.image-maps.com/m/private/7229/5712-LiveLoveDIYSOCIAL_zps2f8f6f4a.jpg" height="45" id="Image-Maps-Com-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" usemap="#image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" width="300" /><map id="ImageMapsCom-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" name="image-maps-2014-02-16-213014"><area alt="pinterest" coords="43,0,84,43" href="http://www.pinterest.com/livelovediy/" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Pinterest"></area><area alt="facebook" coords="88,1,127,42" href="https://www.facebook.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Facebook"></area><area alt="instagram" coords="132,1,173,42" href="http://instagram.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Instagram"></area><area alt="twitter" coords="177,0,219,41" href="https://twitter.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Twitter"></area><area alt="Image Map" coords="298,43,300,45" href="http://www.image-maps.com/index.php?aff=mapped_users_7229" shape="rect" title="Image Map"></area></map><form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=livelovediy/PtTE', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 0px solid #ccc; padding: 0px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small;">Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email!</span></b><br />
Enter your email address:<br />
<input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br />
<input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form>
</center>
LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-3281243512685126522015-12-03T20:32:00.000-05:002015-12-03T20:39:44.910-05:00DIY Gold Leaf Painting <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZmAlLShV6Oa8UCAamme3WqpnmKzg4i96UOx-FFIK6p_qcF-dav0WzybRV3HMNGOZmciu8g8-bkr-FqRyZIajgiSPd9hgbetGoQWH629JBD9nH-oxUYERzslDsTDi-ihBa-8_v3o9TJtI/s1600/diy+gold+leaf+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZmAlLShV6Oa8UCAamme3WqpnmKzg4i96UOx-FFIK6p_qcF-dav0WzybRV3HMNGOZmciu8g8-bkr-FqRyZIajgiSPd9hgbetGoQWH629JBD9nH-oxUYERzslDsTDi-ihBa-8_v3o9TJtI/s400/diy+gold+leaf+art.jpg" title="DIY Gold Leaf Art (made with a stencil and some amazing paint that mimics real gold leaf)." width="270" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hey y'all! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have a quick and easy DIY gold leaf painting for you today! It took me less than half an hour to make, and along the way I discovered some gold paint that actually looks like real gold leaf (without all of the hassle of applying real gold leaf). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Because with a 6 month old baby, I have approximately 3 seconds to pursue anything creative. So, like who has time for difficult things. </i></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's a close-up of my latest gold leaf painting (and probably my easiest art project to date). </span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUG_nhMVR1cBqJeBqHwQEK7odHMUyvM141rNZlwZ-RQaKBjavl1C2qsqRRHxaA_3Z6fTYXNtp_Crxgobvd1Ls-UgHPhuyLQlZmen6zuIIyuGHAla4LG9et10a-JtJoee_wxYTW3Nxsry30/s1600/diy+art+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUG_nhMVR1cBqJeBqHwQEK7odHMUyvM141rNZlwZ-RQaKBjavl1C2qsqRRHxaA_3Z6fTYXNtp_Crxgobvd1Ls-UgHPhuyLQlZmen6zuIIyuGHAla4LG9et10a-JtJoee_wxYTW3Nxsry30/s640/diy+art+ideas.jpg" title="DIY Gold Leaf Art (made with a stencil and some amazing paint that mimics real gold leaf)." width="426" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I actually made this for my office that I'm currently re-doing, but it's still in progress, so I decided to hang it in the <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/11/how-we-updated-our-1970s-house-on.html">dining</a> room for a little while.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAScBIV5ej6-nl9Mqg3HvV6rzrqsBTzttRD8afzpbLT6kM_q43BX08tK-gj5YHYINLYqicBQb6UQIc2iZgoWkqz9VYoz9QqxiXvGcSb1vtuoIPkI1GdDb1UzsuoxMKa_b-0-3OLwyEjg4o/s1600/dining+room+art+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="gold leaf painting dining room" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAScBIV5ej6-nl9Mqg3HvV6rzrqsBTzttRD8afzpbLT6kM_q43BX08tK-gj5YHYINLYqicBQb6UQIc2iZgoWkqz9VYoz9QqxiXvGcSb1vtuoIPkI1GdDb1UzsuoxMKa_b-0-3OLwyEjg4o/s640/dining+room+art+1.jpg" title="DIY gold leaf painting! (Easy tutorial using a stencil and some amazing gold paint that looks like real gold leafing!)" width="426" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, here's a quick tutorial.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrveXR0ohbVjxiGBGEikmrS0zUViSKhuEWhq04WNmHsT3v60N9SbwUrO0geakYFcWv8tyuJj_ZPMuCmNsz_3cbrbhn5MNJD1mRnSJIeSXHbsVWy_4hbCj-bGGrA2EVvrhlbl-uA9F2SkB/s1600/diy+art+ideas+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrveXR0ohbVjxiGBGEikmrS0zUViSKhuEWhq04WNmHsT3v60N9SbwUrO0geakYFcWv8tyuJj_ZPMuCmNsz_3cbrbhn5MNJD1mRnSJIeSXHbsVWy_4hbCj-bGGrA2EVvrhlbl-uA9F2SkB/s640/diy+art+ideas+1.jpg" title="DIY Gold Leaf Art (made with a stencil and some amazing paint that mimics real gold leaf)." width="422" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I started with a square canvas, added a little <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007TH6PD8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007TH6PD8&linkCode=as2&tag=li0a6a-20&linkId=BZNFGSM2EP7ZC7GV" rel="nofollow">Modeling Paste</a> (affiliate link) to give it some texture, and painted it black (Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze to be specific). Jesse helped me make a simple wooden <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/08/diy-gold-leaf-art-round-two.html">frame</a> that I spray painted silver.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuw3zGXCYKajq9WI0owM25wKxuobxYldvbs-dAWIzDHU3Ppq4P40g3q-EmAAQ_SwRnKUr4fx_AYAQn0t23MftKP09OQZPbudnAwTW7aDrhFDcTQekibt391P5m37jgEfqBBm5MVYV5coFv/s1600/ART+TUTORIAL+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuw3zGXCYKajq9WI0owM25wKxuobxYldvbs-dAWIzDHU3Ppq4P40g3q-EmAAQ_SwRnKUr4fx_AYAQn0t23MftKP09OQZPbudnAwTW7aDrhFDcTQekibt391P5m37jgEfqBBm5MVYV5coFv/s640/ART+TUTORIAL+1.jpg" title="DIY Gold Leaf Art (made with a stencil and some amazing paint that mimics real gold leaf)." width="450" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then, I taped a stencil to the canvas. This is one of my favorite stencils that I've used several times now (you can tell by the layers of pink and white paint all over it). I can't find the exact stencil I bought, but <a href="http://www.royaldesignstudio.com/collections/damask-wall-stencils/products/grand-damask-wall-stencil">this</a> link will take you to one that's almost identical.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecnCG6qMYWwswlyaoK91Ew-xNAr_WTZ34fUm-ILj-ekqSJ9lAiaQBu0-aZoiJLR8oNLpw4WKqQ_A2IbK4j7UncWZF5a54kS4Ya9lYI3HyTtGam6-HoYAnDOkefGSHwZZ_z8Uz56I6Ptz8/s1600/ART+TUTORIAL+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecnCG6qMYWwswlyaoK91Ew-xNAr_WTZ34fUm-ILj-ekqSJ9lAiaQBu0-aZoiJLR8oNLpw4WKqQ_A2IbK4j7UncWZF5a54kS4Ya9lYI3HyTtGam6-HoYAnDOkefGSHwZZ_z8Uz56I6Ptz8/s640/ART+TUTORIAL+2.jpg" title="DIY Gold Leaf Art (made with a stencil and some amazing paint that mimics real gold leaf)." width="452" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then, I just applied my gold paint. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdchxpGX05EhHlPYOraGDaloYbgdRUld7iQT5f051p1cp_ZlcIPEhrruPuJaRcgopqPds4R1wO487_6ZmbJWneLR-BnBOijWG6L_pfn_y2t7wW-FV69nE7S_Fx2_1Dn0VcLbxBy9VkEVtj/s1600/ART+TUTORIAL+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdchxpGX05EhHlPYOraGDaloYbgdRUld7iQT5f051p1cp_ZlcIPEhrruPuJaRcgopqPds4R1wO487_6ZmbJWneLR-BnBOijWG6L_pfn_y2t7wW-FV69nE7S_Fx2_1Dn0VcLbxBy9VkEVtj/s640/ART+TUTORIAL+3.jpg" title="DIY Gold Leaf Art (made with a stencil and some amazing paint that mimics real gold leaf)." width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I usually use a mini paint roller when I'm using a stencil because it doesn't bleed under the stencil, but this paint is oil based and really thick, so it worked pretty well with just a paintbrush. I gooped it on pretty thick, too, just because I liked how it looked.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFygGgAGKIFuIR9cMK0FURUTzJfmNjI7BpDuYNBQ_tg4YUCAfuE6OUGbGPp5iqiNc-28CmW6XgeW55AfXwxDZbYZS7qWYiKCSAHPW0tFBfPbhqdug8j8GM2q7AieG0VKMGeXrgXnD1AZj/s1600/ART+TUTORIAL+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFygGgAGKIFuIR9cMK0FURUTzJfmNjI7BpDuYNBQ_tg4YUCAfuE6OUGbGPp5iqiNc-28CmW6XgeW55AfXwxDZbYZS7qWYiKCSAHPW0tFBfPbhqdug8j8GM2q7AieG0VKMGeXrgXnD1AZj/s640/ART+TUTORIAL+4.jpg" title="DIY Gold Leaf Art (made with a stencil and some amazing paint that mimics real gold leaf)." width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The gold leaf paint I used was called Precious Metals in</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041HAYHC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0041HAYHC&linkCode=as2&tag=li0a6a-20&linkId=KYXPLSOVH2CSIMA3" rel="nofollow">18 kt Gold</a> (affiliate link). It comes in a tiny little container, but a little goes a long way. And it's amazing.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZB3srI_zUJtcao-2CTXwodi9s19UvuClE7za_otFe72xgkUp8GaM-xHHzoBxqfmF8eyiXKcovqBmVsF6QDOMB6-23vjw09FpBN661_AmevjJdR9MGm9Y6m_sOWZaejbTP4iujhReo1-yM/s1600/gold+leaf+paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZB3srI_zUJtcao-2CTXwodi9s19UvuClE7za_otFe72xgkUp8GaM-xHHzoBxqfmF8eyiXKcovqBmVsF6QDOMB6-23vjw09FpBN661_AmevjJdR9MGm9Y6m_sOWZaejbTP4iujhReo1-yM/s640/gold+leaf+paint.jpg" title="DIY Gold Leaf Art (made with a stencil and some amazing paint that mimics real gold leaf)." width="446" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've used a lot of real gold leaf in the past few years and this paint is the closest I've found to the real stuff.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once you are done applying the paint, just remove the stencil and let it dry.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEVFIiqT-Az6QVFs6LS1_6Fa_uUblwqjX7rSOlaFdPLZ-d6sPnI9iutjLZwqa9m9QDdpG4N30DSP8Kh5NXOSsTAT6OfIYYdoUXJrESFuz9msurFn5eZF-krwtSA37x0To53QY3OUoU2bAy/s1600/large+stencil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEVFIiqT-Az6QVFs6LS1_6Fa_uUblwqjX7rSOlaFdPLZ-d6sPnI9iutjLZwqa9m9QDdpG4N30DSP8Kh5NXOSsTAT6OfIYYdoUXJrESFuz9msurFn5eZF-krwtSA37x0To53QY3OUoU2bAy/s640/large+stencil.jpg" title="DIY Gold Leaf Art (made with a stencil and some amazing paint that mimics real gold leaf)." width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And that's all there is to it!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pretty easy, right? </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFYn4734KRPwkXJ22gIwQzbfIWnXftoiO7F6ufg7aIJssVIgBVD7St721eHicfRzz0XRgTQDHmNyvJzunIyFLnQqeTiUQg3UZm9Ead0juAwhfCvp98PIe7k9hDn9lsEwoUYFE2SUa-olpr/s1600/diy+art+ideas+cheap+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFYn4734KRPwkXJ22gIwQzbfIWnXftoiO7F6ufg7aIJssVIgBVD7St721eHicfRzz0XRgTQDHmNyvJzunIyFLnQqeTiUQg3UZm9Ead0juAwhfCvp98PIe7k9hDn9lsEwoUYFE2SUa-olpr/s640/diy+art+ideas+cheap+art.jpg" title="DIY Gold Leaf Art (made with a stencil and some amazing paint that mimics real gold leaf). This is so easy!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">That's all for today, guys! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thanks so much for being here. I'll leave you with a picture of Ava, who is 6 months old as of this week. She loves laughing at her daddy, dancing in her jumper, hats, bathtime, and waking up at 3 am. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIL_hEv843tBeUiEilVMB6WxLfHZ9OBc4fhJTHmH6nt6RChyphenhyphenb821EqbtoquICRtdSvV5oJrpJ0uwykyIUiWMdZhTdVgLAmfFG9KIiHMgKdcLe7fSChRBVVFwVhMtR8C7kpq3SvvUBVL97o/s1600/ava.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIL_hEv843tBeUiEilVMB6WxLfHZ9OBc4fhJTHmH6nt6RChyphenhyphenb821EqbtoquICRtdSvV5oJrpJ0uwykyIUiWMdZhTdVgLAmfFG9KIiHMgKdcLe7fSChRBVVFwVhMtR8C7kpq3SvvUBVL97o/s400/ava.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> 'Til next time.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJwYF3TeF98mt8k3E0u8OmbI53AGNUbea3svfkPmMielc6gc9UsyW0J-QMn-T5tv3Bj-WPy68gvNUj91k001ox5IGmJ82WJI0Jia7g8lLTfxceBP44besdPHqtCVhNUMbJ7IcHmwIweQG/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJwYF3TeF98mt8k3E0u8OmbI53AGNUbea3svfkPmMielc6gc9UsyW0J-QMn-T5tv3Bj-WPy68gvNUj91k001ox5IGmJ82WJI0Jia7g8lLTfxceBP44besdPHqtCVhNUMbJ7IcHmwIweQG/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>P.S. For more art ideas, go <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/08/diy-gold-leaf-art-round-two.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/11/how-we-updated-our-1970s-house-on.html">here</a>.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /><br /><a data-pin-color="red" data-pin-count="above" data-pin-do="buttonPin" href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.livelovediy.com%2F2015%2F12%2Fdiy-gold-leaf-painting.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-Eq9SI0rJRvY%2FVmCqRmKA1pI%2FAAAAAAAAajY%2FQqWg6yFs6W0%2Fs640%2Fdiy%252Bgold%252Bleaf%252Bart.jpg&description=DIY%20gold%20leaf%20painting!%20(Easy%20tutorial%20using%20a%20stencil%20and%20some%20amazing%20gold%20paint%20that%20mimics%20real%20gold%20leaf!)"><img src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pinit_fg_en_rect_red_20.png" /></a></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4B_Vs_QyNEA55E1aQet_v2ZPiwuWbTcRo0zj1RPRCLIWscMPWRl03a3-_cwShSoD8bNZ42WYQVmK9eACI8wKR2gqC1wvSckoVuUYmY7O3IYJIyk8Dx55NKuH4PjWKe7c8JV-ea-iPYHZ/s1600/diy+gold+leaf+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4B_Vs_QyNEA55E1aQet_v2ZPiwuWbTcRo0zj1RPRCLIWscMPWRl03a3-_cwShSoD8bNZ42WYQVmK9eACI8wKR2gqC1wvSckoVuUYmY7O3IYJIyk8Dx55NKuH4PjWKe7c8JV-ea-iPYHZ/s640/diy+gold+leaf+art.jpg" title="DIY Gold Leaf Art (made with a stencil and some amazing paint that mimics real gold leaf). This is so easy!" width="432" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div>
<!-- Bloglovin Subscribe -->
<br />
<center>
</center>
<center>
</center>
<center>
Follow my blog with<br /> <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3384224/?claim=jkea24f9wt7"><img align="middle" alt="bloglovin' photo BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii634/livelovediy/BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" width="30%" /> </a></center>
<!-- Social Media and Email Subscribe -->
<br />
<center>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.image-maps.com/m/private/7229/5712-LiveLoveDIYSOCIAL_zps2f8f6f4a.jpg" height="45" id="Image-Maps-Com-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" usemap="#image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" width="300" />
<map id="ImageMapsCom-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" name="image-maps-2014-02-16-213014">
<area alt="pinterest" coords="43,0,84,43" href="http://www.pinterest.com/livelovediy/" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Pinterest"></area>
<area alt="facebook" coords="88,1,127,42" href="https://www.facebook.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Facebook"></area>
<area alt="instagram" coords="132,1,173,42" href="http://instagram.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Instagram"></area>
<area alt="twitter" coords="177,0,219,41" href="https://twitter.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Twitter"></area>
<area alt="Image Map" coords="298,43,300,45" href="http://www.image-maps.com/index.php?aff=mapped_users_7229" shape="rect" title="Image Map"></area>
</map>
<form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=livelovediy/PtTE', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 0px solid #ccc; padding: 0px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small;">Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email!</span></b><br />
Enter your email address:<br />
<input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br />
<input name="uri" type="hidden" value="livelovediy/PtTE" /><input name="loc" type="hidden" value="en_US" /><input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form>
</center>
<!-- NTENT ADS -->
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
var era_rc = {
Styles: '{"thumbnail":{"iw":140,"ww":600,"pa":20,"nr":2,"nc":3},"background":{"color":"transparent"}}',
Scripts: 'thumbnail',
ERADomain: 'as.vs4homeandgarden.com',
PubID: 'livelovediy',
Layout: 'thumbnail',
MaxRelatedItems: '6',
BlockID: 'w600r2i140',
SearchWidgetPosition: '2',
SearchBoxCaption: 'Find More ...',
HeaderText: 'You Might Also Like'
};
(function(){var v='ERA_AD_BLOCK';var i=1;while(document.getElementById(v)){if(i==25)break;v='ERA_AD_BLOCK'+i++;}document.write("<"+"div id='"+v+"'><"+"/div>");
var sch=(location.protocol=='https:'?'https':'http');var host=sch=='http'?'as.ntent.com':'secure.ntent.com';var s=document.createElement('script');var src=sch+"://"+host+"/ERALinks/era_rl.aspx?elid="+v;for(var p in era_rc)
{if(era_rc.hasOwnProperty(p)){src+=decodeURIComponent('%26')+p.toLowerCase()+"="+encodeURIComponent(era_rc[p]);}};s.src=src;document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(s);})();
</script>
<!-- END NTENT ADS -->LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-39482596338555785852015-11-12T20:20:00.001-05:002015-11-12T21:02:48.295-05:00How We Updated Our 1970's House on a Budget (and the living room REVEAL!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-1-bITR_c5F9IFotThAz9MwjPHi55k6b6BpabNxrEisuLwPg223eVGuim-v-r7CXA99YBM-BO6guFeMLPADZOs7-zil7PttPL9hYVcBnO1_2uduLqmq6_B5ErUoMNY8dGgbtu0ZqcMlS/s1600/HOME+REMODELING+IDEAS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-1-bITR_c5F9IFotThAz9MwjPHi55k6b6BpabNxrEisuLwPg223eVGuim-v-r7CXA99YBM-BO6guFeMLPADZOs7-zil7PttPL9hYVcBnO1_2uduLqmq6_B5ErUoMNY8dGgbtu0ZqcMlS/s400/HOME+REMODELING+IDEAS.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="261" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hey guys!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, I haven't blogged in nearly 4 months. It's crazy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I barely even know where to begin! There's so much to say and so much to share, so let's just jump right in and pick up where we left off.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our little Ava is now 5 months old and doing really great. We survived 4 months of colic/milk allergy/reflux and between that and a pretty difficult pregnancy, I felt like the wind had been knocked out of my sails. But, little by little, things are getting so much better and I'm slowly starting to feel like my old self again. Thank you guys so much for being patient with me and understanding that I needed some time off to focus on Ava. I'm so grateful for this precious girl, and </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm sure one day I'll look back and laugh about the past year.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>But, like, not yet. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmb3-o533xhd4NdLUpkySZdJ3HBNTUr0g3LjuCK31GXfGrsgT9CzVWgMSiEr5rijsotWWgPlQvX60gGkxJX0FJclske5mhlFDUVxSn3u_U-OliMQRUbo40i9_MT6kcKmWJY5XdbATBtWD/s1600/boo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmb3-o533xhd4NdLUpkySZdJ3HBNTUr0g3LjuCK31GXfGrsgT9CzVWgMSiEr5rijsotWWgPlQvX60gGkxJX0FJclske5mhlFDUVxSn3u_U-OliMQRUbo40i9_MT6kcKmWJY5XdbATBtWD/s640/boo.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ava on Halloween...finally giving us all sorts of sweet smiles. </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, let's get down to business. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the final few months before I had Ava, I was able to share with you guys the finished <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/05/our-1970s-house-makeover-basement.html">basement</a> renovation, our upstairs <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/05/our-new-white-washed-hardwood-flooring.html">flooring</a> redo, and the <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/06/the-nursery-reveal.html">nursery</a>. But I kinda ran out of time (duty called) before I could share the finished living room. So, a quick 5 months after I finished it, today I can finally show it to you.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Many of you guys have been following my blog for awhile now and have already seen the before pictures of the upstairs living area, but I'll share them again, as it's always a nice reminder of how outdated our house was when we first moved in. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, here are the before pics.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is the living room in May of 2010 when we first moved in...wall to wall carpet, outdated light fixtures, dark wood trim, and windows so old that you could feel the wind in your hair when you stood next to them.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdeVNfO0LHfRgRjwQ3aN-Nty1_Zp0ru2nq8SxYap0czAqpLS_-42BhTAn66yr_iPjCIlZch9xignjzMbn-J3hY5p_5AFtBj_GGt20xcWU9mWuc84lyBmsuwwDmhLln0wlTHiArj_PKJX4/s1600/1+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdeVNfO0LHfRgRjwQ3aN-Nty1_Zp0ru2nq8SxYap0czAqpLS_-42BhTAn66yr_iPjCIlZch9xignjzMbn-J3hY5p_5AFtBj_GGt20xcWU9mWuc84lyBmsuwwDmhLln0wlTHiArj_PKJX4/s640/1+%25281%2529.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdeVNfO0LHfRgRjwQ3aN-Nty1_Zp0ru2nq8SxYap0czAqpLS_-42BhTAn66yr_iPjCIlZch9xignjzMbn-J3hY5p_5AFtBj_GGt20xcWU9mWuc84lyBmsuwwDmhLln0wlTHiArj_PKJX4/s1600/1+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This was what the entryway looked like. Outdated light fixture, parquet flooring and carpeted stairs, rickety old stair rail, and dark wood trim and door.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfa9hAcSjtl8qfIkon2vCxA8MB18e6c1y-pZP_QzdAAR8BfMqNXKkr8OTN5Fcx1BbHrYRCsvZqvKSFn7hPS4AYrV2QbekpXryBw2wJBiOwIjb-35IAEpglxAPw1genZH8yPL74joE6U_BF/s1600/5.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfa9hAcSjtl8qfIkon2vCxA8MB18e6c1y-pZP_QzdAAR8BfMqNXKkr8OTN5Fcx1BbHrYRCsvZqvKSFn7hPS4AYrV2QbekpXryBw2wJBiOwIjb-35IAEpglxAPw1genZH8yPL74joE6U_BF/s640/5.0.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This was what the dining room looked like. There was a wall between the kitchen and dining room that made the room almost too tiny to use. There was an old glass sliding door that barely opened, dark wood trim and wainscotting, outdated light fixtures, and a tile/carpet combo.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEd_pE_PxtCmv5QYwqTs84aaVn316Y-8pDvSW_4olYlzXyMtiCdGRUfHdkGcvcHkKZSAkB3m7fSik6skVExcZfGPgqvXXPM1gmojrMjEdySZXOFhdrhf0xioJo5-EQ-fX3CO8DXwrPTVSo/s1600/LIVINGROOM+%252834%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEd_pE_PxtCmv5QYwqTs84aaVn316Y-8pDvSW_4olYlzXyMtiCdGRUfHdkGcvcHkKZSAkB3m7fSik6skVExcZfGPgqvXXPM1gmojrMjEdySZXOFhdrhf0xioJo5-EQ-fX3CO8DXwrPTVSo/s640/LIVINGROOM+%252834%2529.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is what it looked standing in the dining room and looking into the living room. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxj0FT1Cxq9_82hhUwONUvVCzm7Vn-HQfqtqO3Jdejtlwzhz-f4H_Sj-oIhDJL5Wz2qwIFkwC0d9AMC3sIGKOWblqrKRBn40NSYL3T3SfGSSTUjQmSnlP95I0dGfFlvL9zIiGf7CR-l-D4/s1600/BEFORE+CARPET+HARDWOOD+FLOORS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxj0FT1Cxq9_82hhUwONUvVCzm7Vn-HQfqtqO3Jdejtlwzhz-f4H_Sj-oIhDJL5Wz2qwIFkwC0d9AMC3sIGKOWblqrKRBn40NSYL3T3SfGSSTUjQmSnlP95I0dGfFlvL9zIiGf7CR-l-D4/s640/BEFORE+CARPET+HARDWOOD+FLOORS.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This house sat on the market for a really long time before we bought it, as it was obviously totally outdated. I was a little scared, as it was our first house and I had never renovated anything in my life. But, ultimately I decided to just go for it and I'm so glad I did. Renovating it took me almost 5 years to complete. Sometimes it was totally stressful, sometimes I wanted to quit, but ultimately it's one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. And I learned a lot. Which is great because we won't live here forever, and the next time I renovate a house, I'll be much better equipped.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, that being said, here are the pics of what this upstairs area looks like today. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let's start with a little recap of the dining room and entryway and then we'll move into the living room.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of the things that made the biggest difference was knocking down the wall between the dining room and kitchen. We also built a new stair rail, painted all of the trim and wainscoting white, added new light fixtures, and installed white washed hardwood flooring.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOk0rMNZqaIy3u6YCULCs19OQwI2KYA6u-jkiDddCN2V0GHZur5PztEKAe6XXzsZLeDX_BRxrQkbiPEfXhzuHqT6nAqQcVvcfLQirV_wgAg4tXkpXl6WXQqaMytZ3o0SMGIeoc96pxV4dQ/s1600/living+room+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOk0rMNZqaIy3u6YCULCs19OQwI2KYA6u-jkiDddCN2V0GHZur5PztEKAe6XXzsZLeDX_BRxrQkbiPEfXhzuHqT6nAqQcVvcfLQirV_wgAg4tXkpXl6WXQqaMytZ3o0SMGIeoc96pxV4dQ/s1600/living+room+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOk0rMNZqaIy3u6YCULCs19OQwI2KYA6u-jkiDddCN2V0GHZur5PztEKAe6XXzsZLeDX_BRxrQkbiPEfXhzuHqT6nAqQcVvcfLQirV_wgAg4tXkpXl6WXQqaMytZ3o0SMGIeoc96pxV4dQ/s640/living+room+4.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmLAH0KXIAknZMOkKPexA4dlRcKVYG3bmjKBBHpIsw4wFteG4gUOKxn2r3YSYkNV_L36edqJHqJbW-6BqSjZVDrFyxdp7JzL3Ix51h2GUXeyLbzsrtvCoB-AUjON_bN_8OqLTRtV-PDUH/s1600/living+room+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmLAH0KXIAknZMOkKPexA4dlRcKVYG3bmjKBBHpIsw4wFteG4gUOKxn2r3YSYkNV_L36edqJHqJbW-6BqSjZVDrFyxdp7JzL3Ix51h2GUXeyLbzsrtvCoB-AUjON_bN_8OqLTRtV-PDUH/s640/living+room+5.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I painted our <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2013/04/10-easy-steps-to-paint-kitchen-cabinets.html">kitchen cabinets</a> and updated the hardware when we first moved in the house, and although in an ideal world I would have been able to fully renovate the kitchen, I decided that I could really stretch our budget by just painting the cabinetry and working with what we already had. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the dining room, I added a bold rug that I found for $60 (I know it's not for everyone, and that's okay.). I found the dining room table at a salvage shop, and the white leather chairs with metallic legs I found on Overstock. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><i>The original post about the dining room with sources can be found <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/09/our-1970s-house-makeover-part-10-dining.html">here</a>.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhY-rVSqYXiFzw4fYhbcCdHaNPCnI4_OVLgP1kjmuhu18fcWLgaVfbgRp_bb3ct6aC7bty88txmCPczA_QfixynqS7wPdMMgccnrFrljhI4f993KEB5FP1UHlVXW93JbvMoytjpO_2Q3i/s1600/living+room+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhY-rVSqYXiFzw4fYhbcCdHaNPCnI4_OVLgP1kjmuhu18fcWLgaVfbgRp_bb3ct6aC7bty88txmCPczA_QfixynqS7wPdMMgccnrFrljhI4f993KEB5FP1UHlVXW93JbvMoytjpO_2Q3i/s640/living+room+6.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="426" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Also, we've talked about my orchid sabotage many times, so...that's a fake orchid.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I've got a child to raise.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIYg5RZZUP8w85vqVDP2PV_B8_pVs1l3YkZgyHkXVpmOX4g_lGzWmbskIRIJho1RxxauJIvgJCHRtPFGM7MVjuYjS9tkKMk6b_G3pe9tt_jX3JjsBrLmFlV_-A1iFWnJidj86c7UXigAQO/s1600/living+room+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIYg5RZZUP8w85vqVDP2PV_B8_pVs1l3YkZgyHkXVpmOX4g_lGzWmbskIRIJho1RxxauJIvgJCHRtPFGM7MVjuYjS9tkKMk6b_G3pe9tt_jX3JjsBrLmFlV_-A1iFWnJidj86c7UXigAQO/s640/living+room+7.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArl_PKXeoakzeHELfcsn90I05vkvBwf9hsfva5Mjwgamei5-m7K03OacfgS5j6zoD71o6uUAn-4jqHX1lsAEDhlll76j2lt6M_H1KA0IjJkw9t3aluSvHXUXkvXByHnF_vaHccMcklMjI/s1600/4+white+washed+hardwood+floors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's a quick view from the landing at the top of the stairs. You can see where we also knocked down the wall and widened the old doorway into the hallway.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCerMWYuk4V2ld1o24ni6IGvGjMAO5nIbFe1QY4BLCRKRAq_selkvjqtl0xa-zzkDa4lvr0syZQobYli34j3Xn_G2qBxOKKSNiGyLBe7771QrTWmE3xRShpOx-1d4u6-mtignc5uu5MJ0N/s1600/5+white+washed+hardwood+floors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCerMWYuk4V2ld1o24ni6IGvGjMAO5nIbFe1QY4BLCRKRAq_selkvjqtl0xa-zzkDa4lvr0syZQobYli34j3Xn_G2qBxOKKSNiGyLBe7771QrTWmE3xRShpOx-1d4u6-mtignc5uu5MJ0N/s640/5+white+washed+hardwood+floors.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="570" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's a look around the corner. You can see how we painted the old outdated wainscoting white.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidQ_iMFKqHot8ETnIk_HgN1QylJSgzY_uSza73q3zWUWXwb4GKgVWZZqbhuhy8VJf_lcVdg6mTX7fcgH1Bwk3gjRtcOLnieOUucx7747zuLpvvW_PcrNfZTsMoOmoID_CKJtAe5tElGXl/s1600/white+washed+hardwood+floors+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidQ_iMFKqHot8ETnIk_HgN1QylJSgzY_uSza73q3zWUWXwb4GKgVWZZqbhuhy8VJf_lcVdg6mTX7fcgH1Bwk3gjRtcOLnieOUucx7747zuLpvvW_PcrNfZTsMoOmoID_CKJtAe5tElGXl/s640/white+washed+hardwood+floors+5.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We also replaced the old sliding glass door in the dining room with nice french doors.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Bx_ya1HSMJbXNCo1zpdeRosewY7R5Je9NBiyxxcPwEsR49GdVYTg2fF5Z4uMdoLF4GGxsicGSOZ7zkYfyLRugyjapumAYeePznwnRoVqtFJ5Fx8VBzamv8i-mgGJfSKB46Yq4ci7qMcl/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Bx_ya1HSMJbXNCo1zpdeRosewY7R5Je9NBiyxxcPwEsR49GdVYTg2fF5Z4uMdoLF4GGxsicGSOZ7zkYfyLRugyjapumAYeePznwnRoVqtFJ5Fx8VBzamv8i-mgGJfSKB46Yq4ci7qMcl/s640/6.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="426" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the entryway, we replaced the light fixture, and installed double doors on the coat closet. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPapPmarS2x2hyphenhyphenG4RgXz4KNYp4uVUiAlCtLFHKzZV10tYSak0mIb0GYh2Kuz0-cUyLmTliGkp17zr8RHz9469Z2LV7vS0j6AQZ_Jx1u8YF-tvBt49buESQA6Nl2KoxyktQ1bDRZKvFub5/s1600/entryway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPapPmarS2x2hyphenhyphenG4RgXz4KNYp4uVUiAlCtLFHKzZV10tYSak0mIb0GYh2Kuz0-cUyLmTliGkp17zr8RHz9469Z2LV7vS0j6AQZ_Jx1u8YF-tvBt49buESQA6Nl2KoxyktQ1bDRZKvFub5/s640/entryway.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We replaced the carpet on the stairs with hardwood treads and painted white risers, and we also built a new stairrail.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40XF2iYXnPTyzESAwruFTrjDOqoGf7ubx7UMLOy3b6KWuPbHxy5v2N0CZ6-il4sZLHBFKlrBRWHZImMfHY4jbJNEl6sBMihIpTjXDBCTLZzsiNbkZwJ6-AQiK69Bu4dxH6ubGF-BzdSou/s1600/white+wash+floors+stairs+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40XF2iYXnPTyzESAwruFTrjDOqoGf7ubx7UMLOy3b6KWuPbHxy5v2N0CZ6-il4sZLHBFKlrBRWHZImMfHY4jbJNEl6sBMihIpTjXDBCTLZzsiNbkZwJ6-AQiK69Bu4dxH6ubGF-BzdSou/s640/white+wash+floors+stairs+1.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I painted the existing front door Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze (favorite!), and added a little silver coat hook from HomeGoods.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vnqzmtJ3cTYr8KbB_jdVzcFoTd6WYMGJ1-UvZbr8eLoKFb1Z6eemDpeg6vgdP79zxY77ejtSW-JTf5RtKXvDdQh8PpiCEDDwY71w0a4rSU9oSjpBaIgeZ5qVg6QRh3gRZXbC6LRyvfdC/s1600/hardwood+floor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vnqzmtJ3cTYr8KbB_jdVzcFoTd6WYMGJ1-UvZbr8eLoKFb1Z6eemDpeg6vgdP79zxY77ejtSW-JTf5RtKXvDdQh8PpiCEDDwY71w0a4rSU9oSjpBaIgeZ5qVg6QRh3gRZXbC6LRyvfdC/s640/hardwood+floor.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of the deer heads broke off after I brought it home. And now this little coat hook reminds me of Jesse tinkering in the garage for an hour, determined to fix it for me. I think there was some ametuer welding going on in the garage, but I was too pregnant to waddle out there and watch. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFPlJs_5kd3ZSDOW1d97qHDvbSkdXy3kFX87ImpIPYMXzxxVYlI_Xa4qroaiQDrdSF-5yph5n0SqK6gQge4uHNJehbsFboYSLp3j88oN0itzmBL2O-g5y1suMfk3z1NGHCBE68fPJnPVGh/s1600/antler+decor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFPlJs_5kd3ZSDOW1d97qHDvbSkdXy3kFX87ImpIPYMXzxxVYlI_Xa4qroaiQDrdSF-5yph5n0SqK6gQge4uHNJehbsFboYSLp3j88oN0itzmBL2O-g5y1suMfk3z1NGHCBE68fPJnPVGh/s640/antler+decor.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And now, let's move on to the finished living room. I don't expect this room to blow anyone's mind. But, it's come such a long way, and it's where we spend most of our time, so it definitely deserves at least a little time on the blog.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We replaced the light fixtures, added some inexpensive tufted couches and a giant comfy ottoman, the <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/06/our-1970s-house-makeover-part-8-living.html">rug</a> is from awhile back, and then I thrifted the TV console.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0_iutFs4SRxk5OZAWgO_QduG_I5ZB71e-nJmm-1aDTLj3COmKfACBusvuIMm-DjHvOMG8u4bhpcCigB2nxWZY_SiwC36wYWqK5k5nfCQBeitHNuxjK_gKfMbnATv1XUnEgFhcyqP4rpE/s1600/living+room+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0_iutFs4SRxk5OZAWgO_QduG_I5ZB71e-nJmm-1aDTLj3COmKfACBusvuIMm-DjHvOMG8u4bhpcCigB2nxWZY_SiwC36wYWqK5k5nfCQBeitHNuxjK_gKfMbnATv1XUnEgFhcyqP4rpE/s640/living+room+2.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's a pic of the TV console I found at the thrift store. It's obviously nothing special, but it was the right size and $20, so...sold!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXD4m8W62PNbo9FGBbzIwXNvEtdYTBVAfwydh2T2rTnhlDrEMlvKUzuvtuBGxyO8F9n93MSFYCUsFdrP4mq6iptVV-RWksdM86VA2dEtFmfegOy43zmMb2FTaRK3JdP7slTZZGiHFruB0/s1600/IMG_4812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXD4m8W62PNbo9FGBbzIwXNvEtdYTBVAfwydh2T2rTnhlDrEMlvKUzuvtuBGxyO8F9n93MSFYCUsFdrP4mq6iptVV-RWksdM86VA2dEtFmfegOy43zmMb2FTaRK3JdP7slTZZGiHFruB0/s640/IMG_4812.JPG" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="570" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I painted it (using the only furniture <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/08/how-to-paint-furniture-with-oil-paint.html">paint</a> I ever use anymore) and changed out the hardware.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2F57JGNrtu5FSPiuukLgAzzaG3hms76SOqFLMtipFLUzwKQuToYR2r7LREsXDclbhe_emiB4Fy6H3LeWYBuT98GaYV0Goqxnxe7xjr6I0ioSWT11uJOwvgsKxLhp9Gw9SiyoJxss-BvGA/s1600/IMG_5111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2F57JGNrtu5FSPiuukLgAzzaG3hms76SOqFLMtipFLUzwKQuToYR2r7LREsXDclbhe_emiB4Fy6H3LeWYBuT98GaYV0Goqxnxe7xjr6I0ioSWT11uJOwvgsKxLhp9Gw9SiyoJxss-BvGA/s640/IMG_5111.JPG" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It has a super glossy lacquer finish and looks really great up close. I'll eventually mount the TV on the wall, too.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnH98Weq4Lahsgnqai69hpG1Bjy1ylR8B935k3dQBbp9a9Asjn07A4OU8B_0BxrNZkT9LJoTXwCcOu71PowinSC7ALzPaT_mUSPBDvUPgW1VVlt1WVyaPhvRi0To_DQ2_L1L8ob4jrYUxc/s1600/how+to+paint+furniture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnH98Weq4Lahsgnqai69hpG1Bjy1ylR8B935k3dQBbp9a9Asjn07A4OU8B_0BxrNZkT9LJoTXwCcOu71PowinSC7ALzPaT_mUSPBDvUPgW1VVlt1WVyaPhvRi0To_DQ2_L1L8ob4jrYUxc/s640/how+to+paint+furniture.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="390" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's a closeup of the hardware. Some little polished nickel pulls from Home Depot.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifmqanMUTJqWCQLMAqgyQAlAR2JB7R1rZdDqBchNcQcJEM9l2VDmA2_DyXYPxW7DvIL3nd51Sc_QKfMNdBTI-L4tkhk3tYzXRurnICSq5uqFBt30HC6JPHw2BU3Dc7uX7y-Ypwe1c2v8aV/s1600/restoration+hardware.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifmqanMUTJqWCQLMAqgyQAlAR2JB7R1rZdDqBchNcQcJEM9l2VDmA2_DyXYPxW7DvIL3nd51Sc_QKfMNdBTI-L4tkhk3tYzXRurnICSq5uqFBt30HC6JPHw2BU3Dc7uX7y-Ypwe1c2v8aV/s640/restoration+hardware.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I haven't decided on what kinda curtains I want to hang yet, so for now the windows are just bare. It took us 5 years to finally replace those old windows, so I don't mind looking at the new ones in the meantime.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37xvofodiwoI5CQ9QHb-0ojsNXqu4Luvj8P6-SR_H_gHp27l9kZUZySiHqb0apyQOZ0XhaTKCrlA6St3haNjgpbO8zyWrPNwk7kU10qXKPTKnqG4wefliU4ebzPy4j2WG7oTVXS5ifXMI/s1600/living+room+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37xvofodiwoI5CQ9QHb-0ojsNXqu4Luvj8P6-SR_H_gHp27l9kZUZySiHqb0apyQOZ0XhaTKCrlA6St3haNjgpbO8zyWrPNwk7kU10qXKPTKnqG4wefliU4ebzPy4j2WG7oTVXS5ifXMI/s640/living+room+3.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I added some Etsy pillows to the sofas.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSvqSkX5Xa6uIV0vNyX9MeiLgnMDQm4thHW5EtXY6RG8pRFEGxAX7VT4uzNKNYCPXSiA0zqSpYp_3d5A3g_j42J9opweHpPh8MkGdy42xkw4o4iO3Wc-6hNGqb-MHGJXzwNuzamzT1vhO/s1600/living+room+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSvqSkX5Xa6uIV0vNyX9MeiLgnMDQm4thHW5EtXY6RG8pRFEGxAX7VT4uzNKNYCPXSiA0zqSpYp_3d5A3g_j42J9opweHpPh8MkGdy42xkw4o4iO3Wc-6hNGqb-MHGJXzwNuzamzT1vhO/s640/living+room+9.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="426" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's a view of the living room looking back into the dining room, one of my favorite views.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLAZ96rVi_qwGDJD0fNo73Mtc57cSaEsi6Q2lVRl71cWd_CeYzHL4p9Km5T-zBkP5QXhWVJ6Tj0rbyh4dZKrIt9ppCBOBiYabGqq4P85kjuZF2d8Bj_dwML_QDzScPON_RG6W4xhcb4oK/s1600/living+room+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLAZ96rVi_qwGDJD0fNo73Mtc57cSaEsi6Q2lVRl71cWd_CeYzHL4p9Km5T-zBkP5QXhWVJ6Tj0rbyh4dZKrIt9ppCBOBiYabGqq4P85kjuZF2d8Bj_dwML_QDzScPON_RG6W4xhcb4oK/s640/living+room+1.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We built the <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2013/11/how-to-build-mantel.html">mantel</a> and made the <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2013/10/faux-stacked-log-fireplace-tutorial.html">stacked log insert</a> for the fireplace (both were done awhile ago) and then I freshened up the mantle with some things I had around the house.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6gRxNBhawP0euDzhlyN4VJyf8myzDe4oJ7PyZAhV8yh5kofvTZhxOQOGPkMi33Hpc-TsQwImvYn_Kz-HvPeFenKfB23Dkgnhyphenhyphen47pO9N0LLKaGtnBQnT6pm2r4QpoJoJ-AZb2IV41HcceA/s1600/living+room+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6gRxNBhawP0euDzhlyN4VJyf8myzDe4oJ7PyZAhV8yh5kofvTZhxOQOGPkMi33Hpc-TsQwImvYn_Kz-HvPeFenKfB23Dkgnhyphenhyphen47pO9N0LLKaGtnBQnT6pm2r4QpoJoJ-AZb2IV41HcceA/s640/living+room+8.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="426" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The little framed floral art is a print I found on Etsy.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwN9_SbH4-unCXtZSuuRleqyrcpZEFmklhc8DWTvsVolKOaKVTYuvCdjH4Mnuo39TtiwA93IhbFt-v2GabmU_cpq8E3yOppnPtX-D1TWprlzBpCv4yEMY9uAMSj3iiyru1FOSooNI8bBLY/s1600/living+room+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwN9_SbH4-unCXtZSuuRleqyrcpZEFmklhc8DWTvsVolKOaKVTYuvCdjH4Mnuo39TtiwA93IhbFt-v2GabmU_cpq8E3yOppnPtX-D1TWprlzBpCv4yEMY9uAMSj3iiyru1FOSooNI8bBLY/s640/living+room+16.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And then, I made some art of my own...some black and white abstract art for above the sofa. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsrMhL-aSu7-7XE0iDJd_JfsWCzau_UQAcaGFT1cfmXz6KRL66OMQTGVN7dgJdB7xWcvbI_otBpmZGixAmA1Ikp1OYRZJV4N2Aey_xHssPBd69jP-9Hb2VD__fzXAAzGYn84tyvNNeXxTh/s1600/DIY+abstract+art+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsrMhL-aSu7-7XE0iDJd_JfsWCzau_UQAcaGFT1cfmXz6KRL66OMQTGVN7dgJdB7xWcvbI_otBpmZGixAmA1Ikp1OYRZJV4N2Aey_xHssPBd69jP-9Hb2VD__fzXAAzGYn84tyvNNeXxTh/s640/DIY+abstract+art+ideas.jpg" title="DIY Black & White Abstract Art | LiveLoveDIY" width="398" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had Jesse build me a basic wooden frame. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZH-BoQ8-aPGEG7VvDulYmKoQ4tepNgdQjAixsQUXNhZM53XxnKHAV3zrguFUX8W3hhy0Y70uu_MRl4SU_tiEF-Njortlsa1dTQlhMztF1BqGm3Y-yFFCKV1-lWCX3-YrQ-5Sewf2qTN6/s1600/how+to+make+a+frame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZH-BoQ8-aPGEG7VvDulYmKoQ4tepNgdQjAixsQUXNhZM53XxnKHAV3zrguFUX8W3hhy0Y70uu_MRl4SU_tiEF-Njortlsa1dTQlhMztF1BqGm3Y-yFFCKV1-lWCX3-YrQ-5Sewf2qTN6/s640/how+to+make+a+frame.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And I spray painted it with this Krylon <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007RH9RBW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007RH9RBW&linkCode=as2&tag=li0a6a-20&linkId=BOCPKHWLYZPTAR3Y" rel="nofollow">Foil Metallic</a> silver spray paint (affiliate link). It's good, ya'll. I think I'll be using it as my go-to silver spray paint from now on.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpJ1RCRGYD6HxFnTINWndK3iTEEFUX1v_YnEvkQ8ItIcBF_D5nrUhi3b6N5l7z0M0DKPmhhqAiTNkyizWBv1g5i2rwaHJ1g2r-7YVnY4zHOBx0Kk8LTO055wWgkmVy3M6G8WSx0GfGQxN/s1600/best+silver+spray+paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpJ1RCRGYD6HxFnTINWndK3iTEEFUX1v_YnEvkQ8ItIcBF_D5nrUhi3b6N5l7z0M0DKPmhhqAiTNkyizWBv1g5i2rwaHJ1g2r-7YVnY4zHOBx0Kk8LTO055wWgkmVy3M6G8WSx0GfGQxN/s640/best+silver+spray+paint.jpg" title="The BEST silver spray paint! Makes stuff look like actual silver leaf. " width="394" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It made my little frame look like actual metal or like it was silver leafed. Either way, good stuff.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORZzr2hxwAoXqbPBlkC227n7CZmQSNXNJ2fJEmBRpvi3LSOwSAFsgJ3d6bn-zh6NlDi6SJZC-5i7gl-3hX3zEIgwiwYtVcSFabGb7hWtlQZrv-bdi-j71cbVFi9HT-6dkOsCBkC6fM_vc/s1600/living+room+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORZzr2hxwAoXqbPBlkC227n7CZmQSNXNJ2fJEmBRpvi3LSOwSAFsgJ3d6bn-zh6NlDi6SJZC-5i7gl-3hX3zEIgwiwYtVcSFabGb7hWtlQZrv-bdi-j71cbVFi9HT-6dkOsCBkC6fM_vc/s640/living+room+10.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="426" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For the painting itself, I just used some Sherwin Williams Simply White paint (the same color that's on the walls), mixed it with a little gray, and then sketched out a doodle and filled it in with some Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze (the same black paint I used on the front door). It's probably not gonna end up at a museum, but it took me an hour and only cost me a few bucks, so homemade art for the win.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlCvekQ180GGcSwDxwbtp04vLN3NIoMAHkV-yM5vP_ah-S0EScenOkTtrYeH0vtoGlrGnvcM5vRQPOhU6-uilH_DogBnQWm8hEmlTrzlammsXjK3KYckLvOgxZBkRba-KcTsCTVwWWN9p/s1600/living+room+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlCvekQ180GGcSwDxwbtp04vLN3NIoMAHkV-yM5vP_ah-S0EScenOkTtrYeH0vtoGlrGnvcM5vRQPOhU6-uilH_DogBnQWm8hEmlTrzlammsXjK3KYckLvOgxZBkRba-KcTsCTVwWWN9p/s640/living+room+15.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And that, you guys, is the finished upstairs living area! I'm sure it will continue to evolve and change, but it feels great to at least have it furnished and not under construction. We lived in the <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/05/our-1970s-house-makeover-basement.html">basement</a> throughout most of my pregnancy, so it's nice to no longer be a cave dweller.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And I'll leave you with this picture of how the living room looks in real life, filled with baby stuff. Because it would be ridiculous to pretend like my house always looks like the above pictures....it took me at least twenty minutes to clean out all the baby apparatus before I could take some blog pics. Let's be honest. :)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDrTidkxPycrSNoJ8r2Xa6bLo3EsEnaaxUUY96KKCUHXD4hMJKwRGOV6ZSLjX8GmOm8zlEjVD9Lsr4Il9u-19VaJaa0Jr43O8GbT_mHLm8dX0_gT8nQu_d4uL_S0Jvcf8fIyiro1mqc7F/s1600/reality+with+baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDrTidkxPycrSNoJ8r2Xa6bLo3EsEnaaxUUY96KKCUHXD4hMJKwRGOV6ZSLjX8GmOm8zlEjVD9Lsr4Il9u-19VaJaa0Jr43O8GbT_mHLm8dX0_gT8nQu_d4uL_S0Jvcf8fIyiro1mqc7F/s640/reality+with+baby.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As for the blog, a lot of you have asked what my plans are. I plan to slowly get back into the swing of things, as time allows, and as quickly as my brain starts functioning like normal again. Thank you guys for all of your sweet comments and messages. I appreciate it so much.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I know I'll eventually find my groove again, b</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">ut right now I'm still doing a lot of this. And I wouldn't have it any other way.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnKpm0AaqIKFnixcO0TbjwsCHr9wcFoGc5-PksuhVoXehCVz0JYCP1J1D16knSDp8ANyGka5KuzewloiYiWbYYhZPpPmLJzvHjdTknYjWwXxsUFE7RZRlesJwuPa06UlH_9-i4QZIyVS6/s1600/IMG_1744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnKpm0AaqIKFnixcO0TbjwsCHr9wcFoGc5-PksuhVoXehCVz0JYCP1J1D16knSDp8ANyGka5KuzewloiYiWbYYhZPpPmLJzvHjdTknYjWwXxsUFE7RZRlesJwuPa06UlH_9-i4QZIyVS6/s400/IMG_1744.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">'Til next time!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfyWOazglXNaGIpX4gkycnPw4oNY0xXWLVr1cCBkgsoqL-4fxzh1APFo-n4gWHy2XIfOdJFlJiGcomD7S9UUolAiBjX7pFKnT5e9DG3vL30NduFUzYF0GGIOG5HPXpVY4RiQdW1u3eWdV-/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfyWOazglXNaGIpX4gkycnPw4oNY0xXWLVr1cCBkgsoqL-4fxzh1APFo-n4gWHy2XIfOdJFlJiGcomD7S9UUolAiBjX7pFKnT5e9DG3vL30NduFUzYF0GGIOG5HPXpVY4RiQdW1u3eWdV-/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-1-bITR_c5F9IFotThAz9MwjPHi55k6b6BpabNxrEisuLwPg223eVGuim-v-r7CXA99YBM-BO6guFeMLPADZOs7-zil7PttPL9hYVcBnO1_2uduLqmq6_B5ErUoMNY8dGgbtu0ZqcMlS/s1600/HOME+REMODELING+IDEAS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-1-bITR_c5F9IFotThAz9MwjPHi55k6b6BpabNxrEisuLwPg223eVGuim-v-r7CXA99YBM-BO6guFeMLPADZOs7-zil7PttPL9hYVcBnO1_2uduLqmq6_B5ErUoMNY8dGgbtu0ZqcMlS/s640/HOME+REMODELING+IDEAS.jpg" title="How We Updated Our 1970s House on a Budget. LOVE these before and after pictures! So many ideas!" width="418" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div>
<!-- Bloglovin Subscribe -->
<br />
<center>
</center>
<center>
</center>
<center>
Follow my blog with<br /> <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3384224/?claim=jkea24f9wt7"><img align="middle" alt="bloglovin' photo BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii634/livelovediy/BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" width="30%" /> </a></center>
<!-- Social Media and Email Subscribe -->
<br />
<center>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.image-maps.com/m/private/7229/5712-LiveLoveDIYSOCIAL_zps2f8f6f4a.jpg" height="45" id="Image-Maps-Com-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" usemap="#image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" width="300" />
<map id="ImageMapsCom-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" name="image-maps-2014-02-16-213014">
<area alt="pinterest" coords="43,0,84,43" href="http://www.pinterest.com/livelovediy/" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Pinterest"></area>
<area alt="facebook" coords="88,1,127,42" href="https://www.facebook.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Facebook"></area>
<area alt="instagram" coords="132,1,173,42" href="http://instagram.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Instagram"></area>
<area alt="twitter" coords="177,0,219,41" href="https://twitter.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Twitter"></area>
<area alt="Image Map" coords="298,43,300,45" href="http://www.image-maps.com/index.php?aff=mapped_users_7229" shape="rect" title="Image Map"></area>
</map>
<form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=livelovediy/PtTE', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 0px solid #ccc; padding: 0px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small;">Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email!</span></b><br />
Enter your email address:<br />
<input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br />
<input name="uri" type="hidden" value="livelovediy/PtTE" /><input name="loc" type="hidden" value="en_US" /><input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form>
</center>
<!-- NTENT ADS -->
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
var era_rc = {
Styles: '{"thumbnail":{"iw":140,"ww":600,"pa":20,"nr":2,"nc":3},"background":{"color":"transparent"}}',
Scripts: 'thumbnail',
ERADomain: 'as.vs4homeandgarden.com',
PubID: 'livelovediy',
Layout: 'thumbnail',
MaxRelatedItems: '6',
BlockID: 'w600r2i140',
SearchWidgetPosition: '2',
SearchBoxCaption: 'Find More ...',
HeaderText: 'You Might Also Like'
};
(function(){var v='ERA_AD_BLOCK';var i=1;while(document.getElementById(v)){if(i==25)break;v='ERA_AD_BLOCK'+i++;}document.write("<"+"div id='"+v+"'><"+"/div>");
var sch=(location.protocol=='https:'?'https':'http');var host=sch=='http'?'as.ntent.com':'secure.ntent.com';var s=document.createElement('script');var src=sch+"://"+host+"/ERALinks/era_rl.aspx?elid="+v;for(var p in era_rc)
{if(era_rc.hasOwnProperty(p)){src+=decodeURIComponent('%26')+p.toLowerCase()+"="+encodeURIComponent(era_rc[p]);}};s.src=src;document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(s);})();
</script>
<!-- END NTENT ADS -->LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com91tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-58851588294575343572015-08-06T11:18:00.000-04:002015-10-01T06:56:29.354-04:00Life With Baby (and our newborn photo session)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCefegkRH147QOn8madwZonRM-36gLF1Y-BU50u5LUiWDxUdL7W6PG4CS-6NyEhTWhwdnLDU822JVHED3PHSu0akUOer2KCTBg13zTeqxkMQ-zrKBSIfK0Gamc2Y1IDiYqdxOeo3gGIbM/s1600/ava_newborns-1013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCefegkRH147QOn8madwZonRM-36gLF1Y-BU50u5LUiWDxUdL7W6PG4CS-6NyEhTWhwdnLDU822JVHED3PHSu0akUOer2KCTBg13zTeqxkMQ-zrKBSIfK0Gamc2Y1IDiYqdxOeo3gGIbM/s400/ava_newborns-1013.jpg" width="266" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hey ya'll! I've been really enjoying my self-imposed 'maternity leave' over the last month, and while I I'll still probably take a little more time to enjoy just being a mom, I thought I would pop in for just a minute to share a few updates on how we're doing and share a few pictures from Ava's recent newborn photo shoot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ava is 6 weeks old now and each day is a new adventure. As I'm sure many of you can relate, we're figuring out this parenting thing as we go along and quickly becoming skilled baby interpreters. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>As in 'We've changed her diaper, fed her, burped her, she's slept more than anyone else in this house, what on earth is she still fussy about?!' Ohhhh, there's a booger! She's angry about a booger! Get the nose bulb! (Baby calms down.) Success!'.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEe5byVvQeNOIkRxsa-uYmpKi-DMclmNzwYZs-E4Lq3cSeFdi4KZFefnDfwRzOP3QzYCXGINXM3yZqqatURy2PbVwEZb7no8IVaj6tOJGb9tUh1ZzZbDwNFcDtbqaWn4uYazcKGfVsHlUd/s1600/ava_newborns-1001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEe5byVvQeNOIkRxsa-uYmpKi-DMclmNzwYZs-E4Lq3cSeFdi4KZFefnDfwRzOP3QzYCXGINXM3yZqqatURy2PbVwEZb7no8IVaj6tOJGb9tUh1ZzZbDwNFcDtbqaWn4uYazcKGfVsHlUd/s640/ava_newborns-1001.jpg" width="570" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
I've also discovered that sleep is now a prized commodity. With each day that passes, we seem to get a little better at our routine, and are slowly figuring out the sleep situation. For the first couple weeks she was home, I felt like I had to just stare at her 24/7. Now, at 6 weeks, I'm finally able to take everyone's advice and sleep when she sleeps. And what a difference that makes. The extra hour or two definitely makes me feel a little more like a human.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But, as with all things, this no-sleep season shall pass soon enough, and I'm doing my best to enjoy every sweet moment with her, as I know she won't be this little forever. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDXJYimCO2TjWUe7ucv_YR4Z_gd-fW4LRXZGy59Ff5J76EpcVgTahL2k0FEkE4XPDDAF6IHsNuhRFGNCe6l4kUXOy8rf451l9Bq0I9VYazXCIlwPDMaH9C8G0NEludPgp7NnqDZlqY6Yi/s1600/ava_newborns-1016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDXJYimCO2TjWUe7ucv_YR4Z_gd-fW4LRXZGy59Ff5J76EpcVgTahL2k0FEkE4XPDDAF6IHsNuhRFGNCe6l4kUXOy8rf451l9Bq0I9VYazXCIlwPDMaH9C8G0NEludPgp7NnqDZlqY6Yi/s640/ava_newborns-1016.jpg" width="426" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And there are definitely some really sweet moments.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUeDPeyssV7XUx8gRZkhcl5WS1l7c2xFxHSGMBwzXy0vKMZWnyFK9Q_ySFbwuXWaIMXUbhzEP7v3ZioZ82lOuqzUIKRenKc6OnBL9wyiGWdDQyipBB2cH3rdN3ObxmEQxVstcOoHud4aX4/s1600/ava_newborns-1014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUeDPeyssV7XUx8gRZkhcl5WS1l7c2xFxHSGMBwzXy0vKMZWnyFK9Q_ySFbwuXWaIMXUbhzEP7v3ZioZ82lOuqzUIKRenKc6OnBL9wyiGWdDQyipBB2cH3rdN3ObxmEQxVstcOoHud4aX4/s640/ava_newborns-1014.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3JQ6p56S0wFb5Zu7t7eD-3D19xxtDbkxPGW1_wAYLSvZNceUi_e4m37wDfL898FfS2BBcmGFutQvVkZiNW6hWA60Pta28yRLZEUg8cUZoYVjpXBx5S3bBqG1TIj4R0CpK_UAAZqOAPRb/s1600/ava_newborns-1019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3JQ6p56S0wFb5Zu7t7eD-3D19xxtDbkxPGW1_wAYLSvZNceUi_e4m37wDfL898FfS2BBcmGFutQvVkZiNW6hWA60Pta28yRLZEUg8cUZoYVjpXBx5S3bBqG1TIj4R0CpK_UAAZqOAPRb/s640/ava_newborns-1019.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Other than that, Jesse and I are just enjoying life and slowly adjusting to how much everything changes once there's a baby in the house! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCg38H9_zxjQSFiCYPEUeM_ci9GnI1aLYARDcEjWIJRx-p1Lr4s0IZX7DzuRaQPgbTxivv-I-FRdmgsWT68USIVfEIN6yIvZrHuftCSwZ87LoV_aXhgfDmpDestrsuBZm9QWmDauuaRi8/s1600/ava_newborns-1005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCg38H9_zxjQSFiCYPEUeM_ci9GnI1aLYARDcEjWIJRx-p1Lr4s0IZX7DzuRaQPgbTxivv-I-FRdmgsWT68USIVfEIN6yIvZrHuftCSwZ87LoV_aXhgfDmpDestrsuBZm9QWmDauuaRi8/s640/ava_newborns-1005.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My love for Jesse continues to grow with each passing day as I witness just how incredible he is with her. He changes a million diapers a day, sings to her when she fusses, reads her little books (even though I'm pretty sure she has no idea what's happening) and basically just loves on her all day long. I couldn't have asked for a better partner in this parenting gig.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR98J4g0u3pHhm59TFqbZeAenwoVeRXpqeepkw_3qs9zyOF5NmkDM2Ls_dLzaogVCXUKA26xt0hZY3iKb8zp-xGGWJpNZ5wuicLTRPugwqGbYKeX2znbJJkJIwmCV453TnNYjz-y-U8CQj/s1600/ava_newborns-1042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR98J4g0u3pHhm59TFqbZeAenwoVeRXpqeepkw_3qs9zyOF5NmkDM2Ls_dLzaogVCXUKA26xt0hZY3iKb8zp-xGGWJpNZ5wuicLTRPugwqGbYKeX2znbJJkJIwmCV453TnNYjz-y-U8CQj/s640/ava_newborns-1042.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've received so many emails from you guys since Ava was born, and I can't even express to you how much I appreciate all of your love and support. I had no idea how overwhelming (and amazing) life with a newborn would be, so it's definitely taken me a little time to find my footing as a mom. I read the other day that the newborn phase was kinda like the bootcamp of parenting, and it made me laugh because I have found that to be very true in my experience. I fully expected to be one of those people who could find the time in the day to still get stuff done, but...hahahaha....NOPE. Turns out I'm just a normal gal who needs to take a few months to do nothing else other than focus on baby. :)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, thank you guys for being patient with me. I'm sure this blog will continue to evolve as I do, and I'm happy to have you all along for the journey. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Until next time,</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img height="100px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xAR6Q_kagl31bX6LBAAVCCdRqJewGCpd1FmAYsFx1iyVnVPZnrA-I3_CMtXmWV-PwkoNMMCTVhL2fvmeD7giY4Yy0cNdBrUWB3LCD0RjK7RVZ7ytK1bPBjBqlD48Bnk_TCDC7Vk" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="222px;" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Thanks to my sweet friend at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/knoxvillephotos?fref=ts">Lori Hensley Photography</a> for doing such a beautiful job on our photos.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYgR1EHyS_NVDf1eONWWJMTNR_dYTMTIcGAg2vNBYpQsPHD85CMAHE2apoXuzHWk5JAIdXhSTlgcFmB-dCv25KbtPdGr1sdDQU428MZALEesvn2C0im07ewxRcQknOkf7Pext-I33PPw3/s1600/ava_newborns-1010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYgR1EHyS_NVDf1eONWWJMTNR_dYTMTIcGAg2vNBYpQsPHD85CMAHE2apoXuzHWk5JAIdXhSTlgcFmB-dCv25KbtPdGr1sdDQU428MZALEesvn2C0im07ewxRcQknOkf7Pext-I33PPw3/s640/ava_newborns-1010.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div>
<!-- Bloglovin Subscribe -->
<br />
<center>
</center>
<center>
</center>
<center>
Follow my blog with<br /> <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3384224/?claim=jkea24f9wt7"><img align="middle" alt="bloglovin' photo BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii634/livelovediy/BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" width="30%" /> </a></center>
<!-- Social Media and Email Subscribe -->
<br />
<center>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.image-maps.com/m/private/7229/5712-LiveLoveDIYSOCIAL_zps2f8f6f4a.jpg" height="45" id="Image-Maps-Com-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" usemap="#image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" width="300" />
<map id="ImageMapsCom-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" name="image-maps-2014-02-16-213014">
<area alt="pinterest" coords="43,0,84,43" href="http://www.pinterest.com/livelovediy/" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Pinterest"></area>
<area alt="facebook" coords="88,1,127,42" href="https://www.facebook.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Facebook"></area>
<area alt="instagram" coords="132,1,173,42" href="http://instagram.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Instagram"></area>
<area alt="twitter" coords="177,0,219,41" href="https://twitter.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Twitter"></area>
<area alt="Image Map" coords="298,43,300,45" href="http://www.image-maps.com/index.php?aff=mapped_users_7229" shape="rect" title="Image Map"></area>
</map>
<form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=livelovediy/PtTE', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 0px solid #ccc; padding: 0px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email!</span></b><br />
Enter your email address:<br />
<input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br />
<input name="uri" type="hidden" value="livelovediy/PtTE" /><input name="loc" type="hidden" value="en_US" /><input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form>
</center>
<!-- NTENT ADS -->
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
var era_rc = {
Styles: '{"thumbnail":{"iw":140,"ww":600,"pa":20,"nr":2,"nc":3},"background":{"color":"transparent"}}',
Scripts: 'thumbnail',
ERADomain: 'as.vs4homeandgarden.com',
PubID: 'livelovediy',
Layout: 'thumbnail',
MaxRelatedItems: '6',
BlockID: 'w600r2i140',
SearchWidgetPosition: '2',
SearchBoxCaption: 'Find More ...',
HeaderText: 'You Might Also Like'
};
(function(){var v='ERA_AD_BLOCK';var i=1;while(document.getElementById(v)){if(i==25)break;v='ERA_AD_BLOCK'+i++;}document.write("<"+"div id='"+v+"'><"+"/div>");
var sch=(location.protocol=='https:'?'https':'http');var host=sch=='http'?'as.ntent.com':'secure.ntent.com';var s=document.createElement('script');var src=sch+"://"+host+"/ERALinks/era_rl.aspx?elid="+v;for(var p in era_rc)
{if(era_rc.hasOwnProperty(p)){src+=decodeURIComponent('%26')+p.toLowerCase()+"="+encodeURIComponent(era_rc[p]);}};s.src=src;document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(s);})();
</script>
<!-- END NTENT ADS -->LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-77253266140160427602015-06-30T15:12:00.000-04:002015-10-01T06:57:47.099-04:00The baby has arrived!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmePGqM7Xkgy7v6MQAgdd7m9mvbtEpESMDVaoZ8x6_ZOsgNDfT4n3V12oGU898CbvC-MK8JrDUIUVDkoE-r2c36IkMkCYIq3yw7zacj9tsOWspJUBeENyv7koIYOS9ZfneKX9H0YNPKUu/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmePGqM7Xkgy7v6MQAgdd7m9mvbtEpESMDVaoZ8x6_ZOsgNDfT4n3V12oGU898CbvC-MK8JrDUIUVDkoE-r2c36IkMkCYIq3yw7zacj9tsOWspJUBeENyv7koIYOS9ZfneKX9H0YNPKUu/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hey ya'll! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sooooo.....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our baby girl has arrived!!!!!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We welcomed our little Ava June into the world at 7:58 am on Tuesday, June 23rd.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And we've never been so in love.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>And it definitely took me an entire week before I was able to regain some sense of normalcy and find the time to blog about it. So sorry. :)</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87Yws3Ha1MR4Iml51QEjkS2C6aNUhlYy3iDrL5SKdhhScjLJcXXVOjlCfWi0wbzAypHbJGsLEI3aViigCKcCAyduwNXhnlmhtQJtQQdUxE_cDiWEeDOzwpcZzWvTiaWvc0x45awUcNki9/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87Yws3Ha1MR4Iml51QEjkS2C6aNUhlYy3iDrL5SKdhhScjLJcXXVOjlCfWi0wbzAypHbJGsLEI3aViigCKcCAyduwNXhnlmhtQJtQQdUxE_cDiWEeDOzwpcZzWvTiaWvc0x45awUcNki9/s640/9.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My water broke at 4:30 am (I was scheduled for an induction the following morning due to low amniotic fluid and I was already at the hospital being monitored.), and within a couple hours she was born!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was truly a perfect birth in almost every sense. Quick, peaceful, and empowering. Thankfully, I was already at the hospital because it all happened SO fast. Perhaps after such a stressful pregnancy, our little girl decided to make things easy on me. I'm so thankful for that.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jesse got to witness the entire thing (and boy did he get an eyeful). He was absolutely amazed and in awe of the entire process, and we both cried tears of joy when she was placed on my chest. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmePGqM7Xkgy7v6MQAgdd7m9mvbtEpESMDVaoZ8x6_ZOsgNDfT4n3V12oGU898CbvC-MK8JrDUIUVDkoE-r2c36IkMkCYIq3yw7zacj9tsOWspJUBeENyv7koIYOS9ZfneKX9H0YNPKUu/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmePGqM7Xkgy7v6MQAgdd7m9mvbtEpESMDVaoZ8x6_ZOsgNDfT4n3V12oGU898CbvC-MK8JrDUIUVDkoE-r2c36IkMkCYIq3yw7zacj9tsOWspJUBeENyv7koIYOS9ZfneKX9H0YNPKUu/s640/3.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've been with this man for nearly 13 years, but my love for him grew exponentially as I watched him become a devoted papa.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are truly just no words to describe that feeling.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnr6PPIzLMAnu92I3SBUNvDQZz1LhoEY_zxQ5l8cxznDPSX7V8b7OTaUDDOS1x1xwVBZnIXKPRNZRi4O3RonmSqKOuFWjEkLsGaCP4gkDHJ1ul4FfSSrA_t5d_sQUaQnr4Oq3c86OMqqaR/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnr6PPIzLMAnu92I3SBUNvDQZz1LhoEY_zxQ5l8cxznDPSX7V8b7OTaUDDOS1x1xwVBZnIXKPRNZRi4O3RonmSqKOuFWjEkLsGaCP4gkDHJ1ul4FfSSrA_t5d_sQUaQnr4Oq3c86OMqqaR/s640/8.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our stay in the hospital was relatively short, and I will be forever grateful for the amazing nurses and staff that cared for us while we were there. We took advantage of the full 3 days, even though we were told we could leave after 2. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I pretty much spent the entire time staring at this little face, feeling thankful, and trying to wrap my brain around the fact that I am now a mom. It's all very surreal.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJuxjPJPessYh3cJDtORroyt8uowM4oNkNU8ZjeU7qrrSaA_QuE36kO1WDgMHdWn6happ2VS8cT1jGPYFxy6Dhzx85FsBrHX6Nu6QDSnohmbJVNBH17NiIVSwY41llnaahLSeFgheRQQb/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJuxjPJPessYh3cJDtORroyt8uowM4oNkNU8ZjeU7qrrSaA_QuE36kO1WDgMHdWn6happ2VS8cT1jGPYFxy6Dhzx85FsBrHX6Nu6QDSnohmbJVNBH17NiIVSwY41llnaahLSeFgheRQQb/s640/7.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, we've been home since Thursday and adjusting to life as a family of three. It's been the absolute happiest week of my life (and also the most exhausting, as we figure out the whole sleep thing). </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I wouldn't trade a second of it, and I'm so excited for what's to come.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiWjDQfPrPluY_Pn3T-Ptoc67pplDlmwY0lQCZZhq8CDDksYvwaxAoohmjgUn7bn6JEZgm5KGvVJ-Pjs4tjPWBsvTBZ7yQFxXi2N98ouS1fazUDtzAGEbFIdYCJV24Z399P1-x6zauDLn9/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiWjDQfPrPluY_Pn3T-Ptoc67pplDlmwY0lQCZZhq8CDDksYvwaxAoohmjgUn7bn6JEZgm5KGvVJ-Pjs4tjPWBsvTBZ7yQFxXi2N98ouS1fazUDtzAGEbFIdYCJV24Z399P1-x6zauDLn9/s640/6.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Jesse has been absolutely amazing this week, helping out in any way possible and allowing me to recuperate from the 'joys' of birth (OUCH). </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>He's already become a true diaper master. A poop detective, if you will.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2A1WfSMqYQ_yeHa5UmokoyyXSWRoCNHKywwcjdCRnSyEAWkwrPofX1v9jX2SKufZV1GZoLmT6zxqS2UH6mBdNZq1xCz7xw_X__h6wwBXRHWW2PdfC1iRIxWiTJBhIfO48mgmRm2oDTqD8/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2A1WfSMqYQ_yeHa5UmokoyyXSWRoCNHKywwcjdCRnSyEAWkwrPofX1v9jX2SKufZV1GZoLmT6zxqS2UH6mBdNZq1xCz7xw_X__h6wwBXRHWW2PdfC1iRIxWiTJBhIfO48mgmRm2oDTqD8/s640/5.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Meanwhile, Ava just wants to eat all day, and I'm feeling a bit like a Golden Corral. Breastfeeding did not come easy to me and Ava, but I was determined to make it work, and it's getting a little easier every day. Still not easy, but easier.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I call the below photo 'Milk drunk on a Saturday night'. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcrV1lc2VwxyX35D8ZLV-2-Z5ttKTFX81LCGP2yy5QHPL9A0L698QEjURQgjFcES2Lbdg_IkaqAMZ2DHdHtW3uVLFMmH3Gu87Z71chKuBnEozcO1R8N9gTpKA3IsMgb-7dEZlyjMTKuzC2/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcrV1lc2VwxyX35D8ZLV-2-Z5ttKTFX81LCGP2yy5QHPL9A0L698QEjURQgjFcES2Lbdg_IkaqAMZ2DHdHtW3uVLFMmH3Gu87Z71chKuBnEozcO1R8N9gTpKA3IsMgb-7dEZlyjMTKuzC2/s640/4.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, that's the story!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thank you guys for being here and for being so supportive throughout such a difficult pregnancy. I'm so happy and so relieved to have Ava here and healthy and thriving. I'm barely able to find a second to shower, much less blog, so for the next month, I plan to take a little time off. I will be updating my <a href="http://www.instagram.com/livelovediy">Instagram</a> regularly, and will be back here, blogging regularly, in just a little while. Thank you for allowing me a little time to focus on loving our little girl. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's the best feeling in the world.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6emC_5o9fVeB4h_kTdm9cEa3re6awpWWbhdSNO7gM-zShQokZSEMpmJuSyscGrqOVQJCCyoF8ruMlpgQCJhWfGptTtr1ldhv_Zr6A42rQEkzaE9fqRltuT4GPqvWEt00NGRJhjoXSIm0N/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6emC_5o9fVeB4h_kTdm9cEa3re6awpWWbhdSNO7gM-zShQokZSEMpmJuSyscGrqOVQJCCyoF8ruMlpgQCJhWfGptTtr1ldhv_Zr6A42rQEkzaE9fqRltuT4GPqvWEt00NGRJhjoXSIm0N/s640/2.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Already practicing that 'duck face'. :)</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Love ya'll!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Til next time!</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 33.1199989318848px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img height="100px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xAR6Q_kagl31bX6LBAAVCCdRqJewGCpd1FmAYsFx1iyVnVPZnrA-I3_CMtXmWV-PwkoNMMCTVhL2fvmeD7giY4Yy0cNdBrUWB3LCD0RjK7RVZ7ytK1bPBjBqlD48Bnk_TCDC7Vk" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="222px;" /></span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div>
<!-- Bloglovin Subscribe -->
<br />
<center>
</center>
<center>
</center>
<center>
Follow my blog with<br /> <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3384224/?claim=jkea24f9wt7"><img align="middle" alt="bloglovin' photo BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii634/livelovediy/BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" width="30%" /> </a></center>
<!-- Social Media and Email Subscribe -->
<br />
<center>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.image-maps.com/m/private/7229/5712-LiveLoveDIYSOCIAL_zps2f8f6f4a.jpg" height="45" id="Image-Maps-Com-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" usemap="#image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" width="300" />
<map id="ImageMapsCom-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" name="image-maps-2014-02-16-213014">
<area alt="pinterest" coords="43,0,84,43" href="http://www.pinterest.com/livelovediy/" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Pinterest"></area>
<area alt="facebook" coords="88,1,127,42" href="https://www.facebook.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Facebook"></area>
<area alt="instagram" coords="132,1,173,42" href="http://instagram.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Instagram"></area>
<area alt="twitter" coords="177,0,219,41" href="https://twitter.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Twitter"></area>
<area alt="Image Map" coords="298,43,300,45" href="http://www.image-maps.com/index.php?aff=mapped_users_7229" shape="rect" title="Image Map"></area>
</map>
<form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=livelovediy/PtTE', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 0px solid #ccc; padding: 0px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email!</span></b><br />
Enter your email address:<br />
<input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br />
<input name="uri" type="hidden" value="livelovediy/PtTE" /><input name="loc" type="hidden" value="en_US" /><input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form>
</center>
<!-- NTENT ADS -->
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
var era_rc = {
Styles: '{"thumbnail":{"iw":140,"ww":600,"pa":20,"nr":2,"nc":3},"background":{"color":"transparent"}}',
Scripts: 'thumbnail',
ERADomain: 'as.vs4homeandgarden.com',
PubID: 'livelovediy',
Layout: 'thumbnail',
MaxRelatedItems: '6',
BlockID: 'w600r2i140',
SearchWidgetPosition: '2',
SearchBoxCaption: 'Find More ...',
HeaderText: 'You Might Also Like'
};
(function(){var v='ERA_AD_BLOCK';var i=1;while(document.getElementById(v)){if(i==25)break;v='ERA_AD_BLOCK'+i++;}document.write("<"+"div id='"+v+"'><"+"/div>");
var sch=(location.protocol=='https:'?'https':'http');var host=sch=='http'?'as.ntent.com':'secure.ntent.com';var s=document.createElement('script');var src=sch+"://"+host+"/ERALinks/era_rl.aspx?elid="+v;for(var p in era_rc)
{if(era_rc.hasOwnProperty(p)){src+=decodeURIComponent('%26')+p.toLowerCase()+"="+encodeURIComponent(era_rc[p]);}};s.src=src;document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(s);})();
</script>
<!-- END NTENT ADS -->LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com81tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-20270733509446454012015-06-18T16:38:00.000-04:002015-10-01T06:57:36.556-04:00The Nursery Reveal!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicN2hIutZ8KTmlrJ8NXsZ6U6FBQt7y1YVeLWqOI22XTcT7x75WPiX9RMh4X8S7r-lHazHtaCzqvFE3Vf7sgHKuaV3hZNbaBt5Mh46MTo9X1G3uiCp7a8TenS7mvOawr6LxMlo008Q5mKYc/s1600/nursery+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicN2hIutZ8KTmlrJ8NXsZ6U6FBQt7y1YVeLWqOI22XTcT7x75WPiX9RMh4X8S7r-lHazHtaCzqvFE3Vf7sgHKuaV3hZNbaBt5Mh46MTo9X1G3uiCp7a8TenS7mvOawr6LxMlo008Q5mKYc/s400/nursery+ideas.jpg" title="The Nursery Reveal from LiveLoveDIY....LOVE these nursery ideas for baby girls room!" width="257" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hey ya'll!! It's nursery reveal time!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It pretty much took me until the last minute to get this room finished, but it's finally done and it was a true joy for me to put it all together. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm so excited to finally be able to share all of it with you!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I wasn't sure if I would get to share the nursery before she arrived or afterwards, but as it turns out...I'm almost 39 weeks and still going strong. It's the biggest relief that I have now made it to term and don't have to be scared all the time! I mean, now there are new fears (like LABOR), but it's still a really nice feeling to be happy and excited for a change.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlHUICgNqv8T7MdO3UXDIzepAoUdA2roSkqYlFAfk6J6_9KBLnxNDg3SYBT6V94kUOmpjnBaplW-LngYTzjL_akx5rgS8ig4lGPOmoGcRKIV3nIQvbC6Ytd7s8l4hDzrV72ps5aT4VvR4/s1600/IMG_5270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlHUICgNqv8T7MdO3UXDIzepAoUdA2roSkqYlFAfk6J6_9KBLnxNDg3SYBT6V94kUOmpjnBaplW-LngYTzjL_akx5rgS8ig4lGPOmoGcRKIV3nIQvbC6Ytd7s8l4hDzrV72ps5aT4VvR4/s400/IMG_5270.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For those of you who follow me on <a href="https://instagram.com/livelovediy/">Instagram</a>, you know that the above pic is a couple weeks old. I've 'expanded' quite a bit since then. :)</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Anyway, thank you guys so much for being so patient and understanding during all of this. And of course, for all of your encouraging words along the way. It's truly meant so much.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, let's get started with the nursery tour!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQ6f4mlvcurLI_AMZQd3BNxRbPJSXuMyReIHxA6C75sGtgYKE-FPS1zynlZ1XDuxjW7YTLuBeki0XV4onVkrGQBFNmdZ6b3_oswBGc4xTlunQ_nobXkTGzNWYeoinKOuamU4SCsjqjZFG/s1600/nursery+decor+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQ6f4mlvcurLI_AMZQd3BNxRbPJSXuMyReIHxA6C75sGtgYKE-FPS1zynlZ1XDuxjW7YTLuBeki0XV4onVkrGQBFNmdZ6b3_oswBGc4xTlunQ_nobXkTGzNWYeoinKOuamU4SCsjqjZFG/s640/nursery+decor+ideas.jpg" title="The Nursery Reveal from LiveLoveDIY....LOVE these nursery ideas for baby girls room!" width="426" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I decided to use the guest <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/11/diy-ikea-rast-hack-with-sunbleached.html">bedroom</a> down the hallway, right off of the kitchen as the nursery. The room was already painted Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray, and although at first I thought about repainting it something different, once I started playing around with the room, I realized just how much I loved the dark gray for the nursery. It's really calming and makes the room so cozy. As my accent colors, I kept it simple with just a few little pops of pink and some metallic silver.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6GVH-zW15yW2mcLYsIFPEIq-Uju2rKWSVfBI5m9XDeTHRxoeylp5Xo0rgwSaw3GxVoKAo2qkivND_Swo3qspyI6cLhy6CB2j1Wxlt9aCQM821LUvc8Xw4bfeD0PUSI12gp4b8kq1pymyD/s1600/baby+girl+room+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6GVH-zW15yW2mcLYsIFPEIq-Uju2rKWSVfBI5m9XDeTHRxoeylp5Xo0rgwSaw3GxVoKAo2qkivND_Swo3qspyI6cLhy6CB2j1Wxlt9aCQM821LUvc8Xw4bfeD0PUSI12gp4b8kq1pymyD/s640/baby+girl+room+ideas.jpg" title="The Nursery Reveal from LiveLoveDIY....LOVE these nursery ideas for baby girls room!" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The room came together slowly over the course of a few months, using a lot of items we already owned, combined with a few new items.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My grandparents generously gifted us a <a href="http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/taryn-crib/?pkey=bcribs&">crib</a>, and that allowed me to save quite a bit of money and spend it on other items we needed. I kept the bedding simple with <a href="http://www.target.com/p/circo-triple-ruffle-solid-crib-skirt/-/A-15053658">this</a> ruffled bed skirt and <a href="http://www.buybuybaby.com/store/product/wendy-bellissimo-mix-match-chevron-fitted-crib-sheet-in-pink/1042387381?poc=214532">this</a> pink fitted sheet.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The velvet pillow is from our <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/05/our-1970s-house-makeover-basement.html">basement</a> and is just in the crib to make the photos prettier. </i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>It won't be in there when she's in there, so don't you worry. :)</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJv6WMA2M7u6gGQ5CgaIKkpYpzqMVa3mCc6NYjL6WyEytvtVKHFmUnQp9hvTUFLBcZ8wKt7mdfcw4wPDBdgnydjElBPU9ffoneB6fOJSMEIIO_VTguoyf2TZNUEBrPhQavZ22WjPcTBsqf/s1600/baby+room+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJv6WMA2M7u6gGQ5CgaIKkpYpzqMVa3mCc6NYjL6WyEytvtVKHFmUnQp9hvTUFLBcZ8wKt7mdfcw4wPDBdgnydjElBPU9ffoneB6fOJSMEIIO_VTguoyf2TZNUEBrPhQavZ22WjPcTBsqf/s640/baby+room+ideas.jpg" title="The Nursery Reveal from LiveLoveDIY....LOVE these nursery ideas for baby girls room!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My mother in law knitted the most precious baby quilt, with little pink bows at each corner. She had no idea what the nursery looked like, so I find this to be the sweetest of coincidences.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcWp1yaIC7QAXwGPxOir-pHGFaIw_o3otvacr8Hj2mfkbb55BbSzBOMMpViU7s9I-GmxK3_-U0c9xwtN0yeyMH4VRkY8uJltbVzZGwaSV1fAvlwz22hEzzv1UvC1QWdeQ_hm_B_9T94iq/s1600/baby+quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcWp1yaIC7QAXwGPxOir-pHGFaIw_o3otvacr8Hj2mfkbb55BbSzBOMMpViU7s9I-GmxK3_-U0c9xwtN0yeyMH4VRkY8uJltbVzZGwaSV1fAvlwz22hEzzv1UvC1QWdeQ_hm_B_9T94iq/s640/baby+quilt.jpg" title="The Nursery Reveal from LiveLoveDIY....LOVE these nursery ideas for baby girls room!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I added a few little metallic sunburst mirrors above the crib.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Again, probably something that will get moved once she gets old enough to be all grabby. </i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I think I'm probably not supposed to tell you when something is done just for show, but whatever...'tis the truth.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnfmkuvp7LfAgNfcrHooYlm0vtOU0WlXuzgmFNIUCbqKOUPjra4WLsSSEutm8J_m40oStoyIAVO0mo-bTOYIj1yi8swyVO0OYPhjMD4JKFSDPTve58h8DPZVnBVMgioI_SzBAequG0IJ6l/s1600/baby+room+decor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnfmkuvp7LfAgNfcrHooYlm0vtOU0WlXuzgmFNIUCbqKOUPjra4WLsSSEutm8J_m40oStoyIAVO0mo-bTOYIj1yi8swyVO0OYPhjMD4JKFSDPTve58h8DPZVnBVMgioI_SzBAequG0IJ6l/s640/baby+room+decor.jpg" title="The Nursery Reveal from LiveLoveDIY....LOVE these nursery ideas for baby girls room!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of my favorite parts of the room is the rocking chair.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_s-1VllbmME6o_vTcvOG4aM30qNGxShoT6jaF3wUp0Nm1xfzEAK9NtA0D94Z7jHhhk_iA6Ck5na_v8H7EhHgmNydo5LaWbMOATvEYO4iWDl37QHBm8PqPzQLY-A4U-9WLIng_n58O6tq/s1600/white+rocking+chair+for+nursery+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_s-1VllbmME6o_vTcvOG4aM30qNGxShoT6jaF3wUp0Nm1xfzEAK9NtA0D94Z7jHhhk_iA6Ck5na_v8H7EhHgmNydo5LaWbMOATvEYO4iWDl37QHBm8PqPzQLY-A4U-9WLIng_n58O6tq/s640/white+rocking+chair+for+nursery+.jpg" title="The Nursery Reveal from LiveLoveDIY....LOVE these nursery ideas for baby girls room!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I spent months looking for an affordable white rocking chair for the nursery, and everything I found was SO expensive and totally out of my price range. There are apparently droves of women paying $1500 for a baby glider, but well, not in this lifetime, sister.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, determined to find something that looked comparable to the high end rockers, but cost a fraction of the price, I finally found <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Newco-Rounded-Back-Chenille-Glider-Ivory/10926811">this</a> nursery glider from Walmart. I was nervous it would be big and bulky and ugly in person, but when it finally arrived, it was perfect.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHJEvzYW1SLa6Eb_tPlYgyaq9-_KZ1M4tURoNOEInchh7OLjJ935pngbdlx9spIwOTXV7xW93TMgaYdeclNrZAy-0pESRpDOVx7mWlSzOM9yhf_Q8Y4DIkvp-UFX9xAaax_f-W4BFrvUi/s1600/rocking+chair+for+nursery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHJEvzYW1SLa6Eb_tPlYgyaq9-_KZ1M4tURoNOEInchh7OLjJ935pngbdlx9spIwOTXV7xW93TMgaYdeclNrZAy-0pESRpDOVx7mWlSzOM9yhf_Q8Y4DIkvp-UFX9xAaax_f-W4BFrvUi/s640/rocking+chair+for+nursery.jpg" title="The Nursery Reveal from LiveLoveDIY....LOVE these nursery ideas for baby girls room!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>To give you an idea of where the nursery is, you can see the <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/05/our-new-white-washed-hardwood-flooring.html">dining room</a> through the doorway in the above pic. The pink rug is still going strong in there. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH for your response to that last post about our <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/05/our-new-white-washed-hardwood-flooring.html">new floors</a>...such a relief to have them done and done right.</i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Anyway, the glider is the perfect size and it just so happens to be the most comfortable chair I've ever sat in. I've caught Jesse sitting in here multiple times, just twirling himself around in the chair.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>He's suggested that every chair we ever purchase from now on should swivel and rock.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Duly noted, sir.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScKUucZpp_qUsi59XtQ6V7jKF_OEo8Iz1h32OHa5myRYOMMzjoA7k_6RgklgVhPppB-MUpz76pyAMeIYTnlXQMwHePTXHjmLsSBvX0QkRVeTWHSjrgttmfK6pyJdckBspP59npitHTLMH/s1600/rocking+chair+for+nursery+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScKUucZpp_qUsi59XtQ6V7jKF_OEo8Iz1h32OHa5myRYOMMzjoA7k_6RgklgVhPppB-MUpz76pyAMeIYTnlXQMwHePTXHjmLsSBvX0QkRVeTWHSjrgttmfK6pyJdckBspP59npitHTLMH/s640/rocking+chair+for+nursery+ideas.jpg" title="The Nursery Reveal from LiveLoveDIY....LOVE these nursery ideas for baby girls room!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also added a little silver garden stool...a place where I can set drinks or books or pizza. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've had a lot of people ask me how I keep white stuff so white...like rugs and furniture, and obviously, this glider. And the answer is that I use something called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SQD4PQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003SQD4PQ&linkCode=as2&tag=li0a6a-20&linkId=Z7Z6M256HKFFKAXP">Vectra</a> (affiliate link) on everything the minute it comes into our house. It's a little pricer than something like Scotchguard, but it protects your upholstery from almost any stain and it doesn't make your fabric feel all hard and waterproof like Scotchguard does. </span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Basically, it works and I like it. </span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAm7L1wJDyo6hb9hkeiQjKWcmDe5Col2-U6yGs_RP7y10TLkUFurzTI0HQB7J1BTZ7deofzUd_eqsUGtwbNg5Ex2MZJNgXETdiAtJFZ75tUk8g2BMFXIzaXa71Ul_QAjDxEpvxvAPAMFo5/s1600/nursery+glider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAm7L1wJDyo6hb9hkeiQjKWcmDe5Col2-U6yGs_RP7y10TLkUFurzTI0HQB7J1BTZ7deofzUd_eqsUGtwbNg5Ex2MZJNgXETdiAtJFZ75tUk8g2BMFXIzaXa71Ul_QAjDxEpvxvAPAMFo5/s640/nursery+glider.jpg" title="The Nursery Reveal from LiveLoveDIY....LOVE these nursery ideas for baby girls room!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Speaking of rugs, I decided to use the zebra <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/11/diy-ikea-rast-hack-with-sunbleached.html">rug</a> from the guest bedroom in here. It just fit perfectly and gave the room a little extra oomph.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5yrIhjjfk6Dr6YVDlk5rj-e79WQK1gVljDNvTiV4CBsNrcA6D0gI3_KQhLpP3H-JczJCk4SqDzDFU8GMfjPHIDnQ-hBQWfb4d3BZcCxSYioAnbBeWwaWq22lMW6f_wrytlnKLIsZQIKYs/s1600/DSC_0078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5yrIhjjfk6Dr6YVDlk5rj-e79WQK1gVljDNvTiV4CBsNrcA6D0gI3_KQhLpP3H-JczJCk4SqDzDFU8GMfjPHIDnQ-hBQWfb4d3BZcCxSYioAnbBeWwaWq22lMW6f_wrytlnKLIsZQIKYs/s640/DSC_0078.JPG" title="The Nursery Reveal from LiveLoveDIY....LOVE these nursery ideas for baby girls room!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For wall art, I kept it simple with this painting I found locally. It was actually the first thing I bought for the nursery, months ago, and it kinda set the tone for the entire room.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I knew the minute I saw it that I was going to do a silver and pink nursery.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFsmnUvMpG_Om-TsiOx9h8OdhH3FiCtpUo0iF37EsYciyTGdwfCsNfr0vgU31e9fV8LnQnG0QIb3xeJm3EJS-NgwxUvgjXJ2ZMX25JVUgig9q75NHITlDrtYuBYhSRFb9eoDM9F04gTqk7/s1600/pink+nursery+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFsmnUvMpG_Om-TsiOx9h8OdhH3FiCtpUo0iF37EsYciyTGdwfCsNfr0vgU31e9fV8LnQnG0QIb3xeJm3EJS-NgwxUvgjXJ2ZMX25JVUgig9q75NHITlDrtYuBYhSRFb9eoDM9F04gTqk7/s640/pink+nursery+5.jpg" title="The Nursery Reveal from LiveLoveDIY....LOVE these nursery ideas for baby girls room!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had pinned about a million nursery decor ideas and had a bunch of different color schemes running through my head, but once I found this painting, everything kinda came together. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jXXxGQUFwcBh_WmKtGMtCpTamT9UvKEI3MSI8BbLOSYYeFAm_Xe3fyjS4ftk3XKxg5dec9Xxb0LJCvFgZYuxNiiqmorfw826SVtTMonrlEJ1RmH5moEw06I1Q6Nm37Hcu6gOEMTz2WXq/s1600/pink+nursery+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jXXxGQUFwcBh_WmKtGMtCpTamT9UvKEI3MSI8BbLOSYYeFAm_Xe3fyjS4ftk3XKxg5dec9Xxb0LJCvFgZYuxNiiqmorfw826SVtTMonrlEJ1RmH5moEw06I1Q6Nm37Hcu6gOEMTz2WXq/s640/pink+nursery+7.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For the changing table, I decided to repurpose this old dresser that I had already painted awhile back. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Remember this ol' boy?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlLu1tYEYOhNuZZ8D0NEyzQW4VDAL4GKYufednZJHq-YeDI5xKZ7sQknFQbWNFqz45BBvkIVAjLPla4TqTGBlsn6YSqCWVM6LKrDT_KL0pm5bsVKEut4rnhoPLOEiCHnvRtvQS5wjdpzp/s1600/how+to+paint+furniture+before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlLu1tYEYOhNuZZ8D0NEyzQW4VDAL4GKYufednZJHq-YeDI5xKZ7sQknFQbWNFqz45BBvkIVAjLPla4TqTGBlsn6YSqCWVM6LKrDT_KL0pm5bsVKEut4rnhoPLOEiCHnvRtvQS5wjdpzp/s640/how+to+paint+furniture+before.jpg" width="472" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had previously painted it a light blue (you can see the original makeover <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2013/12/how-to-paint-furniture-and-dresser.html">here</a>), so I decided to just paint it white and update the hardware. Easy fix.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLSioOQTKmC9nap6vETIJTtbXrXuUEPgZCPAdOin09UoiSlljjyZ189GP-Z5eRId1kx1qdv6CW40cbL5bUXdpjm1MEIQTWsWdPZUQM9rug8PXb29fUm6JXhKHddYWm30ag416MOBNs37I/s1600/nursery+decor+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLSioOQTKmC9nap6vETIJTtbXrXuUEPgZCPAdOin09UoiSlljjyZ189GP-Z5eRId1kx1qdv6CW40cbL5bUXdpjm1MEIQTWsWdPZUQM9rug8PXb29fUm6JXhKHddYWm30ag416MOBNs37I/s640/nursery+decor+ideas.jpg" title="The Nursery Reveal from LiveLoveDIY....LOVE these nursery ideas for baby girls room!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It took me forever, but I also painted the insides of all the drawers a light pink color. Now they are nice and clean and perfect for storing all of her little clothes.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>It's hard to tell in these photos, but I swear the drawers are pink. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Professional photog, at your service.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9z6vK8aDfkm78lOMvVSxrke0mV4DCiEWLLCdb9ll7u3RdZ8dFmj6PIOOaAETC7sPEkpUzk9E7IFKDK9m0UdcQb7aHs9G3rT2DeUtiRkmxbjCvUTOJU3xm84bC7i8jQwvrI_9ze4yF9fGY/s1600/pink+nursery+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9z6vK8aDfkm78lOMvVSxrke0mV4DCiEWLLCdb9ll7u3RdZ8dFmj6PIOOaAETC7sPEkpUzk9E7IFKDK9m0UdcQb7aHs9G3rT2DeUtiRkmxbjCvUTOJU3xm84bC7i8jQwvrI_9ze4yF9fGY/s640/pink+nursery+10.jpg" title="The Nursery Reveal | LiveLoveDIY. LOVE these nursery ideas for baby girl's room!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also updated the hardware with <a href="http://www.dlawlesshardware.com/ourbesecuppu.html">these</a> really pretty cup pulls, which totally make the dresser.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAanZ0DkHHijsUy0vH-aJ-eTGLgVoWaM9xAmGtKNslbDREJpQzwiAEyLMyznsz25EdDMzskomQpVZIQhQzN6c0X3ImxusDf8GTqH2XIGOjWEgCkJzYMpzcnPwuXhynwIhhGktGhfFvDnxG/s1600/pink+nursery+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAanZ0DkHHijsUy0vH-aJ-eTGLgVoWaM9xAmGtKNslbDREJpQzwiAEyLMyznsz25EdDMzskomQpVZIQhQzN6c0X3ImxusDf8GTqH2XIGOjWEgCkJzYMpzcnPwuXhynwIhhGktGhfFvDnxG/s640/pink+nursery+11.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On top of the dresser, I added a cute little lamp, a changing pad, and a little pink basket for holding diapers and such.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWonOFEy9-ThfBx81dluIU5wkCi-4nqJJHmjaUL9930oWxjPtA6AoDXWB6Ihdb8nsyH0-x8X47RrTmE2fHCBjwBHQuFVNLOBHtJTaOZkzTJg2FMEl0UO58WTtuiRyZW0YzwOhte912p_N/s1600/pink+nursery+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWonOFEy9-ThfBx81dluIU5wkCi-4nqJJHmjaUL9930oWxjPtA6AoDXWB6Ihdb8nsyH0-x8X47RrTmE2fHCBjwBHQuFVNLOBHtJTaOZkzTJg2FMEl0UO58WTtuiRyZW0YzwOhte912p_N/s640/pink+nursery+12.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And that's pretty much it...our little nursery is all ready! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLSioOQTKmC9nap6vETIJTtbXrXuUEPgZCPAdOin09UoiSlljjyZ189GP-Z5eRId1kx1qdv6CW40cbL5bUXdpjm1MEIQTWsWdPZUQM9rug8PXb29fUm6JXhKHddYWm30ag416MOBNs37I/s1600/nursery+decor+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLSioOQTKmC9nap6vETIJTtbXrXuUEPgZCPAdOin09UoiSlljjyZ189GP-Z5eRId1kx1qdv6CW40cbL5bUXdpjm1MEIQTWsWdPZUQM9rug8PXb29fUm6JXhKHddYWm30ag416MOBNs37I/s640/nursery+decor+ideas.jpg" title="The Nursery Reveal from LiveLoveDIY....LOVE these nursery ideas for baby girls room!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thank you guys so much for being here and for being so encouraging and supportive throughout this entire journey. Our little lady is due at the end of June, and although I plan to take a little time off so that we can enjoy our time together and figure out our new routine, I will make sure to give you guys a quick update either here on the blog or on Instagram (depending on how exhausted I am) after she arrives. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, until then, ya'll!!!! :)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img height="100px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xAR6Q_kagl31bX6LBAAVCCdRqJewGCpd1FmAYsFx1iyVnVPZnrA-I3_CMtXmWV-PwkoNMMCTVhL2fvmeD7giY4Yy0cNdBrUWB3LCD0RjK7RVZ7ytK1bPBjBqlD48Bnk_TCDC7Vk" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="222px;" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a data-pin-color="red" data-pin-config="above" data-pin-do="buttonPin" data-pin-height="28" href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.livelovediy.com%2F2015%2F06%2Fthe-nursery-reveal.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-Ew04SFp-ZfU%2FVYMlj_v0m1I%2FAAAAAAAAZ7o%2FqJsWxxlmI-8%2Fs640%2Fnursery%2Bideas.jpg&description=The%20Nursery%20Reveal%20from%20LiveLoveDIY....LOVE%20these%20nursery%20ideas%20for%20baby%20girls%20room!"><img src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pinit_fg_en_rect_red_28.png" /></a>
<!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page -->
<script async="" defer="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicN2hIutZ8KTmlrJ8NXsZ6U6FBQt7y1YVeLWqOI22XTcT7x75WPiX9RMh4X8S7r-lHazHtaCzqvFE3Vf7sgHKuaV3hZNbaBt5Mh46MTo9X1G3uiCp7a8TenS7mvOawr6LxMlo008Q5mKYc/s1600/nursery+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicN2hIutZ8KTmlrJ8NXsZ6U6FBQt7y1YVeLWqOI22XTcT7x75WPiX9RMh4X8S7r-lHazHtaCzqvFE3Vf7sgHKuaV3hZNbaBt5Mh46MTo9X1G3uiCp7a8TenS7mvOawr6LxMlo008Q5mKYc/s640/nursery+ideas.jpg" title="The Nursery Reveal from LiveLoveDIY....LOVE these nursery ideas for baby girls room!" width="412" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div>
<!-- Bloglovin Subscribe -->
<br />
<center>
</center>
<center>
</center>
<center>
Follow my blog with<br /> <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3384224/?claim=jkea24f9wt7"><img align="middle" alt="bloglovin' photo BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii634/livelovediy/BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" width="30%" /> </a></center>
<!-- Social Media and Email Subscribe -->
<br />
<center>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.image-maps.com/m/private/7229/5712-LiveLoveDIYSOCIAL_zps2f8f6f4a.jpg" height="45" id="Image-Maps-Com-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" usemap="#image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" width="300" />
<map id="ImageMapsCom-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" name="image-maps-2014-02-16-213014">
<area alt="pinterest" coords="43,0,84,43" href="http://www.pinterest.com/livelovediy/" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Pinterest"></area>
<area alt="facebook" coords="88,1,127,42" href="https://www.facebook.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Facebook"></area>
<area alt="instagram" coords="132,1,173,42" href="http://instagram.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Instagram"></area>
<area alt="twitter" coords="177,0,219,41" href="https://twitter.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Twitter"></area>
<area alt="Image Map" coords="298,43,300,45" href="http://www.image-maps.com/index.php?aff=mapped_users_7229" shape="rect" title="Image Map"></area>
</map>
<form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=livelovediy/PtTE', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 0px solid #ccc; padding: 0px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email!</span></b><br />
Enter your email address:<br />
<input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br />
<input name="uri" type="hidden" value="livelovediy/PtTE" /><input name="loc" type="hidden" value="en_US" /><input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form>
</center>
<!-- NTENT ADS -->
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
var era_rc = {
Styles: '{"thumbnail":{"iw":140,"ww":600,"pa":20,"nr":2,"nc":3},"background":{"color":"transparent"}}',
Scripts: 'thumbnail',
ERADomain: 'as.vs4homeandgarden.com',
PubID: 'livelovediy',
Layout: 'thumbnail',
MaxRelatedItems: '6',
BlockID: 'w600r2i140',
SearchWidgetPosition: '2',
SearchBoxCaption: 'Find More ...',
HeaderText: 'You Might Also Like'
};
(function(){var v='ERA_AD_BLOCK';var i=1;while(document.getElementById(v)){if(i==25)break;v='ERA_AD_BLOCK'+i++;}document.write("<"+"div id='"+v+"'><"+"/div>");
var sch=(location.protocol=='https:'?'https':'http');var host=sch=='http'?'as.ntent.com':'secure.ntent.com';var s=document.createElement('script');var src=sch+"://"+host+"/ERALinks/era_rl.aspx?elid="+v;for(var p in era_rc)
{if(era_rc.hasOwnProperty(p)){src+=decodeURIComponent('%26')+p.toLowerCase()+"="+encodeURIComponent(era_rc[p]);}};s.src=src;document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(s);})();
</script>
<!-- END NTENT ADS -->
<!-- Beginning Async AdSlot 2 for Ad unit circle.livelovediy ### size: [[320,50]] -->
<!-- Adslot's refresh function: googletag.pubads().refresh([gptadslots[2]]) -->
<br />
<div id="div-gpt-ad-165953683124939174-2">
<script type="text/javascript">
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-165953683124939174-2'); });
</script>
</div>
<!-- End AdSlot 2 -->
LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-65535228388752719572015-05-28T15:13:00.001-04:002015-10-01T06:58:05.811-04:00Our New White-Washed Hardwood Flooring (and why we had to rip out the old ones after only a year!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5bRa3IqMocVuapLDoEJeXEmfKFsuj3KHxKpu7f8GpqiH3wJpZJKvH20zBApB6w9-TmjxSTflIgbmuNhbD3ggWSoLwr4NX0NGIDG9mzwLu1slekBFRInqNSQc2BrJnm_JSL4QbQvSS6nc/s1600/1+white+washed+hardwood+floor+final+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9jClwmFpJNvuj-RR-KivxcIYUqh3OmWCXQ5uAa4_1xD4kOcnylYoNcasbz59nC_yGLCDMPtZJjynhHhifSt8PFHeSfeozVGYoXNVaoP3m_8FzWzc0UJoxuajm6pOQd14xLxK1nVK6bUA/s1600/white+washed+hardwood+floor+final+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9jClwmFpJNvuj-RR-KivxcIYUqh3OmWCXQ5uAa4_1xD4kOcnylYoNcasbz59nC_yGLCDMPtZJjynhHhifSt8PFHeSfeozVGYoXNVaoP3m_8FzWzc0UJoxuajm6pOQd14xLxK1nVK6bUA/s400/white+washed+hardwood+floor+final+image.jpg" title="Our new white washed hardwood flooring (and why we had to rip out the old ones after only a year!). Great cautionary tale about how to find a good contractor when renovating your house!" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hey ya'll! So, I've been keeping a little secret from you. In the 9 months that I've been pregnant, not only did we renovate our entire <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/05/our-1970s-house-makeover-basement.html">basement</a>, but we also installed new white washed wide plank hardwood flooring in the entire upstairs level of the house. And I've been waiting to share the story with you until everything was 100% finished.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> And now it's time...I can finally tell you the story of why we had to redo our upstairs floors after only a year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, remember those brand new hardwood floors that we had installed <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/02/our-house-renovation-complete-crazy.html">last year</a>? Well, about 6 months after they were installed, we watched in pure horror as our wood flooring started buckling, separating, warping, and turning an outdated shade of bright orange. Here's a closeup to show you what I mean.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbo7hA1dDOqoqBaZoyXKP8tKa5xdpqPYAMnTVLghx86icY8nfHg-FDU7w2NEtzA0RHwoKDCR09-oktfL_5nh8XgVodt1MOGxsk1PaQ1Lxc48s-V9q_LL3wc1fVS80JymF6030XiGgrpBy/s1600/before+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbo7hA1dDOqoqBaZoyXKP8tKa5xdpqPYAMnTVLghx86icY8nfHg-FDU7w2NEtzA0RHwoKDCR09-oktfL_5nh8XgVodt1MOGxsk1PaQ1Lxc48s-V9q_LL3wc1fVS80JymF6030XiGgrpBy/s640/before+5.JPG" width="570" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I tried to keep some perspective about it...it's just hardwood flooring, after all. But, I'd be lying to say I wasn't devastated. We had spent <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/02/our-house-renovation-complete-crazy.html">3 months</a> and a big chunk of money on solid wood floors, and I was quickly coming to the realization that something was terribly wrong.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was as if our flooring had decided to revert back to the 1970's.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I'm going to put on a brave face and pretend like I handled this well, but there were lots of tears and a few choice fingers aimed at the floor.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCCBXKTU8z7cYE7diB-np75jP4T6eKyf-U4JcLFpCJRO808lrN53c-gOyP5FzncoYoZjz95dGGfLeneIEGFUhZLvKK7IfUjFJ0RoasZHTp-lhAgTmtWoEdRMuNOLwlApXoAP4JOL5QGxw/s1600/before+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCCBXKTU8z7cYE7diB-np75jP4T6eKyf-U4JcLFpCJRO808lrN53c-gOyP5FzncoYoZjz95dGGfLeneIEGFUhZLvKK7IfUjFJ0RoasZHTp-lhAgTmtWoEdRMuNOLwlApXoAP4JOL5QGxw/s640/before+7.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, you're probably wondering what on earth happened. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I don't like to speak negatively about anyone, so rather than getting all worked up about something that has already happened, here's the quickest, most painless way I can describe what unfolded.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Last year, we hired a really bad contractor. I truly don't think there was any malice involved, and I would even go so far as to say that I think he meant well. But the truth is that he took 3 months to do one of the worst jobs I've ever seen. And after he left, it took us another 3 months to clean up the damage he did to our home, and finish the job he started.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And then there's the fact that 6 months after having our floors installed they looked like this.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbbNFlODZP7K1CkwIvPiEcTleeUQ2Sn53yK256Fkr1uDiGMsfn7uHW-K3vkky3oXLyN7DkGzkyrdHc4krG9y3xjTda4S-TWi0ZiIxEfhu9SMcv8AP5X89Yr99fNCXnpdDEa9BEtau9jLy/s1600/before+floors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbbNFlODZP7K1CkwIvPiEcTleeUQ2Sn53yK256Fkr1uDiGMsfn7uHW-K3vkky3oXLyN7DkGzkyrdHc4krG9y3xjTda4S-TWi0ZiIxEfhu9SMcv8AP5X89Yr99fNCXnpdDEa9BEtau9jLy/s640/before+floors.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In a nutshell, after talking to some flooring experts, we discovered that not only was our flooring installed poorly, but the quality of the wood itself was really bad, and that the topcoat used was far from ideal and caused the floors to amber really quickly. So, a few painful lessons I learned from this ordeal (that I refuse to be angry about in the hopes that they will serve me in the future): </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">#1. Do your due diligence when hiring a contractor. Don't just take a blind recommendation from a friend or family member. Ask to see their work. Ask for a firm timeline. Interview multiple contractors.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">#2. Don't get talked into using solid hardwood from a local mill, even if you're told that it will cut your costs in half (because you might end up like us and have your floors warp and separate just a few months after installation). Buy your wood from a reputable business with a warranty. And I have to tell you, after this experience, I will never have floors stained or finished on-site ever again. Prefinished flooring is so much easier to install, much more durable, and you know exactly what it will look like after it's installed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">and #3. Trust your gut. There were multiple instances while working with our first contractor when my instincts were telling me that something wasn't right. I was too afraid to speak up or do anything about it, and it ended up costing me a lot of time and money. Don't be afraid to fire someone who isn't doing the job you are paying them to do.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, now that my cautionary tale is out of the way, let's move on with the happy part of the story. Back in April, the basement renovation was in full swing, and we had just hired some new contractors to demo the <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/05/our-1970s-house-makeover-basement.html">poop tile</a> and install that beautiful gray plank tile downstairs. This time, we did our due diligence when we hired a contractor, and as a result, we ended up working with some really amazing guys. They were organized, meticulous, a pleasure to have around, and their work was flawless. And as they had promised, they completely finished our entire basement in one week. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, after seeing how pleasant a renovation can be with the right contractors, we decided to hire them to fix the upstairs and handle the hardwood floor installation. We discussed all of our options for a few days, and ultimately decided that because the previous hardwood flooring had been installed so poorly, there was no point in trying to sand them and refinish the hardwood. The old floors would need to come up, the subfloors would need to be replaced (They should have been replaced the first time around but we were talked out of it.), and we would then install new engineered wood flooring.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, I spent about a week bringing home tons of samples. At one point, there were about 30 sample boards in my garage. And it was so hard to choose because everything looked so weird next to our horrible orange floors. It really threw me off for awhile, but after a week or so I had narrowed down my choices to 3 samples. #1 was my favorite from the start, with #2 being too orange and #3 being too dark.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>And that's a terrible iphone pic, but it's gives you an idea of what I'm talking about.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRNEtIjshJsmtQvkCdpDJr6bkaMhFrhGH3TEEUd-8knQ_x48jsFtqg1Ya9tWUet_PYbZvAM0g9Ww88y-73v9DiJN-tozoY1hxxKO5NJ4eFeczrsMWipsrIVX9qafkP5PERqcx_ipXyioT/s1600/IMG_4597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRNEtIjshJsmtQvkCdpDJr6bkaMhFrhGH3TEEUd-8knQ_x48jsFtqg1Ya9tWUet_PYbZvAM0g9Ww88y-73v9DiJN-tozoY1hxxKO5NJ4eFeczrsMWipsrIVX9qafkP5PERqcx_ipXyioT/s640/IMG_4597.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, I listened to my gut and went for what I've wanted all along...a wide plank white washed floor. I was determined to follow my vision, no matter how weird it seemed to anyone else. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The below pic was my inspiration and it took a lot of searching to find something comparable within our price range. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUhM14mg8jiUgLQb4TO45IyYYB-6Fx-eZOieWuf-DdVmr5SPHYpOYkhx9vSgKFIq5DnhnXwYiarL_1-kKvgh6x99oMxqtccH4M4uoCBnZun09P3VCNbBM_5TC6NmcKScK5Me_YYOUjFSIR/s1600/183dfef303812f22ef8a6cdec968d238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUhM14mg8jiUgLQb4TO45IyYYB-6Fx-eZOieWuf-DdVmr5SPHYpOYkhx9vSgKFIq5DnhnXwYiarL_1-kKvgh6x99oMxqtccH4M4uoCBnZun09P3VCNbBM_5TC6NmcKScK5Me_YYOUjFSIR/s640/183dfef303812f22ef8a6cdec968d238.jpg" width="500" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">via <a href="http://dinesen.com/">Denison</a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, I bought a box of choice #1 and laid it out over our floors to get a better idea of what it would look like. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And I was so excited...I knew we had a winner. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's called Beach Front Oak from the Coastal Urban collection by </span><a href="http://www.primoflorzusa.com/coastal-urban.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Primo Florz.</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> They aren't paying me to tell you this, I'm simply including a link to the manufacturer so that you can find it if you need to.</span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1QHM2n0AAQi1yngD0433dLknrSxp2CSHsLLB33obfVQCQQIi_wxith4WFeEFvd-G8fxi6xhEhvRqw8f2HoCUzXpRJbwSACsKik3cRzitWYjCVAiuMDh2FR6Q9Ax8sMMrbCHPkfsuGg6g/s1600/before+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1QHM2n0AAQi1yngD0433dLknrSxp2CSHsLLB33obfVQCQQIi_wxith4WFeEFvd-G8fxi6xhEhvRqw8f2HoCUzXpRJbwSACsKik3cRzitWYjCVAiuMDh2FR6Q9Ax8sMMrbCHPkfsuGg6g/s640/before+6.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And so it began. Our contractors spent a few days ripping up all of the gross orange floor and replacing all of the subfloors. And then they began installing all of the new flooring. All in all, it took two weeks, just as they had promised. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Can you believe it only took two weeks this time? Last time it took almost 3 months. And I don't even wanna talk about it.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6yja-T2U1due1UxyUG40OBBVzfAy1pd66FAIoUuSD300MWtoI_nRXQLDGvTdztbQkFTWj-aW-NCQNJ8R61cKg0Apu1PtLy_U1ivYqq_ay-KwQStVN0AceEDaJlZ8GP9LrtOGoY9DlcJJ/s1600/hardwood+floor+installation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6yja-T2U1due1UxyUG40OBBVzfAy1pd66FAIoUuSD300MWtoI_nRXQLDGvTdztbQkFTWj-aW-NCQNJ8R61cKg0Apu1PtLy_U1ivYqq_ay-KwQStVN0AceEDaJlZ8GP9LrtOGoY9DlcJJ/s640/hardwood+floor+installation.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since everything was finished so quickly this time, I decided just to show you the finished results rather than attempt to tell you about it while all of this was underway. So, here is how the upstairs looks today with the new flooring.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDIDp8Z1ee_CR16JrVtYK9_epcU1FghOvinF5C3mRC9qkyWd6aDQZ1I86ZabwMAc8KR8yTQ6jEW_2px1XeE_M04J2AsDX963DWc0UF8jxTi418Qb65iMVit0NTNFp2YS1Lx7L6Up0Dg0i/s1600/white+wash+hardwood+floors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDIDp8Z1ee_CR16JrVtYK9_epcU1FghOvinF5C3mRC9qkyWd6aDQZ1I86ZabwMAc8KR8yTQ6jEW_2px1XeE_M04J2AsDX963DWc0UF8jxTi418Qb65iMVit0NTNFp2YS1Lx7L6Up0Dg0i/s640/white+wash+hardwood+floors.jpg" title="Our new white washed hardwood flooring (and why we had to rip out the old ones after only a year!). Great cautionary tale about how to find a good contractor when renovating your house!" width="426" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It feels like a glorious new beginning. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">No more angry orange floors.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRrP0PZPHJuMrYc6vIU4FJGlRVplCfj2W_qbRqCW2M-aYwW8U4zznNpaFJTWU-VyLgOx4IxTgyBXMSAxOoVdaDdTM5vdd41MrMLvYNwu7oQxWkW9qF9PcF72-paTf4tyXyIoxNQ5cGe8V/s1600/white+washed+hardwood+floors+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRrP0PZPHJuMrYc6vIU4FJGlRVplCfj2W_qbRqCW2M-aYwW8U4zznNpaFJTWU-VyLgOx4IxTgyBXMSAxOoVdaDdTM5vdd41MrMLvYNwu7oQxWkW9qF9PcF72-paTf4tyXyIoxNQ5cGe8V/s640/white+washed+hardwood+floors+1.jpg" title="Our new white washed hardwood flooring (and why we had to rip out the old ones after only a year!). Great cautionary tale about how to find a good contractor when renovating your house!" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElr1AnTtvV6nSuDzHXMQh5Wko0HoyoHst-yMIoHtTz7ZpRh54YMX2E5lcB1hYef1ZLAAQ7hp6G2y8BlLopxxOJfY3a7ZIuCTLPEtEZdir7PJAfXq9f1wYF0Buy0hUrq-bjWDn-RORk49t/s1600/IMG_4641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">All of our old living room furniture is being used downstairs, so I've decided to redo our upstairs living room (hopefully before the baby gets here). So, for now, only the <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/09/our-1970s-house-makeover-part-10-dining.html">dining room</a> has been moved back in.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQdQ-Wl0YgDaaNXGbQe4gZCjjKXMm1XQhdlr-Kq5w5g0R5TZBdsufYVAvYKbFwxR9sGb8dffRz2PSe59RCjtYrKyjI_n1pGtoh6_dE2PUCDLGgomTCCNUDYv4A7uuH9R7mXo4V8JFpc40/s1600/4+white+washed+hardwood+floors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQdQ-Wl0YgDaaNXGbQe4gZCjjKXMm1XQhdlr-Kq5w5g0R5TZBdsufYVAvYKbFwxR9sGb8dffRz2PSe59RCjtYrKyjI_n1pGtoh6_dE2PUCDLGgomTCCNUDYv4A7uuH9R7mXo4V8JFpc40/s640/4+white+washed+hardwood+floors.jpg" title="Our new white washed hardwood flooring (and why we had to rip out the old ones after only a year!). Great cautionary tale about how to find a good contractor when renovating your house!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5bRa3IqMocVuapLDoEJeXEmfKFsuj3KHxKpu7f8GpqiH3wJpZJKvH20zBApB6w9-TmjxSTflIgbmuNhbD3ggWSoLwr4NX0NGIDG9mzwLu1slekBFRInqNSQc2BrJnm_JSL4QbQvSS6nc/s1600/1+white+washed+hardwood+floor+final+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5bRa3IqMocVuapLDoEJeXEmfKFsuj3KHxKpu7f8GpqiH3wJpZJKvH20zBApB6w9-TmjxSTflIgbmuNhbD3ggWSoLwr4NX0NGIDG9mzwLu1slekBFRInqNSQc2BrJnm_JSL4QbQvSS6nc/s640/1+white+washed+hardwood+floor+final+image.jpg" title="Our new white washed hardwood flooring (and why we had to rip out the old ones after only a year!). Great cautionary tale about how to find a good contractor when renovating your house!" width="426" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I decided to use the pink rug in here for awhile. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I love this thing, but tend to get sick of it after like a week, so I make no promises if it will stay.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>But I love it for now.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9ImfjQw1GI3Sfi7KDLb_5DZczrhRe7Od25WdZLTC1aW2vYytkBtLpZAS6GtIwfzCDvVnHjEx2HV3T5EzL-ydL7W7IM0tuJ2OQC49d_HHGXqaHq6teetyE9foa5mdJqIN4GJDd1YvWJPc/s1600/3+white+washed+hardwood+floors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9ImfjQw1GI3Sfi7KDLb_5DZczrhRe7Od25WdZLTC1aW2vYytkBtLpZAS6GtIwfzCDvVnHjEx2HV3T5EzL-ydL7W7IM0tuJ2OQC49d_HHGXqaHq6teetyE9foa5mdJqIN4GJDd1YvWJPc/s640/3+white+washed+hardwood+floors.jpg" title="Our new white washed hardwood flooring (and why we had to rip out the old ones after only a year!). Great cautionary tale about how to find a good contractor when renovating your house!" width="426" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm just so happy with the way everything turned out. It finally feels right (even though I got it so terribly wrong the first time).</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ubktQeO0D74aA8Kzkl5N10X9IS1AZdqUV3Q5U0yK4VGxXtloNGOTK6rdCqLzAvlearWdUuKldrRmtS4ulTYXr6rK1mHwB39xVOZve6h1wsjpM3kPN11Uht4Afon8uY7mwZPWWcxAwBtY/s1600/5+white+washed+hardwood+floors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ubktQeO0D74aA8Kzkl5N10X9IS1AZdqUV3Q5U0yK4VGxXtloNGOTK6rdCqLzAvlearWdUuKldrRmtS4ulTYXr6rK1mHwB39xVOZve6h1wsjpM3kPN11Uht4Afon8uY7mwZPWWcxAwBtY/s640/5+white+washed+hardwood+floors.jpg" title="Our new white washed hardwood flooring (and why we had to rip out the old ones after only a year!). Great cautionary tale about how to find a good contractor when renovating your house!" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's a little glimpse of the hallway with the new flooring.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmyjuobYj5jRkYM6B97icQ1CHdK_SVK3yXE8eea_j9ibTcZM8P7XfV5gJgG9Qgvs-i_mMi3VT0dHm6oduE0bRtqJCLibYqX8r-rQAeNHa3BLiYwIGN-IsnvQybu0R7oh9WBK4n-Z_BDvO/s1600/white+washed+hardwood+floors+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmyjuobYj5jRkYM6B97icQ1CHdK_SVK3yXE8eea_j9ibTcZM8P7XfV5gJgG9Qgvs-i_mMi3VT0dHm6oduE0bRtqJCLibYqX8r-rQAeNHa3BLiYwIGN-IsnvQybu0R7oh9WBK4n-Z_BDvO/s640/white+washed+hardwood+floors+5.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And a glimpse of the hallway with the old floors, just to remind you of how much they sucked.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RFw3Q1M3uAwqLGYa9tz88ZSW27z9FXjZgC_19_1WUC9-WWRvz75ArMj92yGJhxAZc6pa_11vnJSXh9APL_G7u0eib8VOHjJosYtxZt4EbQTx8qVjc8XzKpzYvgU70voJlFzDVK3-lCJg/s1600/white+washed+hardwood+floors+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_bMdF_P_5XTDhum0v2I0g9ihK1ybB-NCz_MYGpOsKm7qXYgim5vg-vKBf6NrWVAiWwYtZMLtK-LhHXTBDWieRS02BnqpWMs-wGgqA2INxq-9JUcv3fvEdsbXJP3GcGplHKgvn7eBkjrgp/s1600/before+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_bMdF_P_5XTDhum0v2I0g9ihK1ybB-NCz_MYGpOsKm7qXYgim5vg-vKBf6NrWVAiWwYtZMLtK-LhHXTBDWieRS02BnqpWMs-wGgqA2INxq-9JUcv3fvEdsbXJP3GcGplHKgvn7eBkjrgp/s640/before+4.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We also used this opportunity to replace the old sliding door in the dining room with a new set of pretty french doors.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRuvadNDCji3KcnoQu1En52O0MpMcYQ2XsfFsUjpclNuglLsGArbm9YbKFehJ85IuKOls3fRs_-5vnrTzJva5D9K1ud0O8pL70057hvLWOsjUSlOVJCC2btvkM3zzSE_reMY9A7qht2jZ/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRuvadNDCji3KcnoQu1En52O0MpMcYQ2XsfFsUjpclNuglLsGArbm9YbKFehJ85IuKOls3fRs_-5vnrTzJva5D9K1ud0O8pL70057hvLWOsjUSlOVJCC2btvkM3zzSE_reMY9A7qht2jZ/s640/5.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQw22nFOzlRSgOmBolOoaW37UUPC2o4K6xT6MQqmYGsu5L4x928qFRndQB4qo5eYfS2tmRHba62nO6ENtQMZOQ1KIHR9fC18nDRIh_ZFmltk1l-scgYPahmmkh2LvntVThiTeuw6IxOrLV/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQw22nFOzlRSgOmBolOoaW37UUPC2o4K6xT6MQqmYGsu5L4x928qFRndQB4qo5eYfS2tmRHba62nO6ENtQMZOQ1KIHR9fC18nDRIh_ZFmltk1l-scgYPahmmkh2LvntVThiTeuw6IxOrLV/s640/6.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">To remind you, the old 1970's sliding door looked like this.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was a pretty sassy addition to any dining room, really.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRvf3u2VtV_V98Mb_bBtV3iqkIsJfRMt5_wrdrsm5to5J39oWb0umNWOmQD5M_EQgtoySWhrfAYKTZOwXF6cTIrrbt5dnOcipS8jLydO_Qx0smM2bGdyZw4V6QXZooNSoggxpx6fZt2FR/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRvf3u2VtV_V98Mb_bBtV3iqkIsJfRMt5_wrdrsm5to5J39oWb0umNWOmQD5M_EQgtoySWhrfAYKTZOwXF6cTIrrbt5dnOcipS8jLydO_Qx0smM2bGdyZw4V6QXZooNSoggxpx6fZt2FR/s640/4.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">...but one we felt inclined to part with.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Nothing like spending a day with a gaping hole in your house. </i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTf1cmuMk22KPeLrOzNsKycJEzRXjIJVbu2CkpZLKsKLCbrIRJV8eYgekkmX94Ed1Qxh18JN9GNZPGTmIHNhVFaXUJmh_f2AimJnlx7HyfAV6hzdu20tEnX-RZ9OX-VDrYirx-7NGyyefH/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTf1cmuMk22KPeLrOzNsKycJEzRXjIJVbu2CkpZLKsKLCbrIRJV8eYgekkmX94Ed1Qxh18JN9GNZPGTmIHNhVFaXUJmh_f2AimJnlx7HyfAV6hzdu20tEnX-RZ9OX-VDrYirx-7NGyyefH/s640/7.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's funny how a little thing like a door can make such a big difference, but there's just something about not having to remove a big stick from the floor every time you want to open the door that makes me feel so happy. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>If you've ever had one of those old sliding doors, you KNOW the stick I speak of.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMq9ZhRpQ8_jSmGvncSJ6JHnBU9FoLQ4ue7yIcxP_4wVtsqRcyNkggLz25DSFpPltODB52JQku7lzBqzkDhDh_RNBybSvU-PBZX6QSQ-PKN-5gLLjDq5hT_vmrAbJOt8O28BOvWbMx36-n/s1600/white+washed+hardwood+floors+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMq9ZhRpQ8_jSmGvncSJ6JHnBU9FoLQ4ue7yIcxP_4wVtsqRcyNkggLz25DSFpPltODB52JQku7lzBqzkDhDh_RNBybSvU-PBZX6QSQ-PKN-5gLLjDq5hT_vmrAbJOt8O28BOvWbMx36-n/s640/white+washed+hardwood+floors+8.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We also had the new contractors fix our stairs. I've never really talked about this (because...sigh) but the old contractor did a horrible job on our stairs. They were never finished and sounded like they were going to break every time you stepped on them. And they were also never trimmed out, so they pretty much just looked bad from day 1. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'll present you with the evidence.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3tZX3ay9hywL9peDEaodNS4kiaaemCWJydFr7hqW5Yq3Q86e36lK0YjeEDNYVWnwpxYZB150zjINXP_30lQaRkSvvBwVO3dogf260QPtzdoPMigKDejXZt-8rqyhDuGuQjX-8HfBGI5b/s1600/DSC01251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3tZX3ay9hywL9peDEaodNS4kiaaemCWJydFr7hqW5Yq3Q86e36lK0YjeEDNYVWnwpxYZB150zjINXP_30lQaRkSvvBwVO3dogf260QPtzdoPMigKDejXZt-8rqyhDuGuQjX-8HfBGI5b/s640/DSC01251.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">and another glimpse.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I'm not kidding...that is how they looked when they were 'finished'. And this is why I'm choosing to leave a lot of words unsaid...because it's not even necessary. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>You have eyeballs.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgL-ocgfYTATEYyB36m6RJcXgYtAIHGh7ADfABMySl1ESZCuXNBM-VgNWK1ODoByfsurN_YJJQ02h9X3zpcM6B6C0oKibOrZA_Ai6wKJ3y-4Sjc6yqOSZm_UhJychyfZHEy8wul73ufnWM/s1600/4.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgL-ocgfYTATEYyB36m6RJcXgYtAIHGh7ADfABMySl1ESZCuXNBM-VgNWK1ODoByfsurN_YJJQ02h9X3zpcM6B6C0oKibOrZA_Ai6wKJ3y-4Sjc6yqOSZm_UhJychyfZHEy8wul73ufnWM/s640/4.1.jpg" width="494" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And now...the stairs today. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I never thought stairs could make me so happy, </i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>BUT I APPRECIATE THEM SO MUCH IT HURTS.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3L2EU1ycXTvxYQer4tc5ikh8PtVWNo9Nrbvq31EFUSvXyDMjCv_OKp76IXAJwP9Uusg4y_cyNxO-Urko5vZFytr9YMjMKR84mQqdm05cnibLMcup8O65ozikQ5HMmPbPQ4SZ-kpzQm_6/s1600/white+wash+floors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3L2EU1ycXTvxYQer4tc5ikh8PtVWNo9Nrbvq31EFUSvXyDMjCv_OKp76IXAJwP9Uusg4y_cyNxO-Urko5vZFytr9YMjMKR84mQqdm05cnibLMcup8O65ozikQ5HMmPbPQ4SZ-kpzQm_6/s640/white+wash+floors.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> And here's how the upstairs set looks today.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ltOl9A-aFBbaK7rtKJAlr1F6JrDboRXp87oCwyfxcRzcFYi3G6QqlgSuj37lM4HA2b1BwWyokj5xSaZKDXMStAM6szFoS6-yNGQ51LKQHrtL9Xny-lO4vYm4hosbZlBl-5d1UTH5Dt8g/s1600/white+wash+floors+stairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ltOl9A-aFBbaK7rtKJAlr1F6JrDboRXp87oCwyfxcRzcFYi3G6QqlgSuj37lM4HA2b1BwWyokj5xSaZKDXMStAM6szFoS6-yNGQ51LKQHrtL9Xny-lO4vYm4hosbZlBl-5d1UTH5Dt8g/s640/white+wash+floors+stairs.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And another glimpse. The stair treads had to be custom matched to our flooring, and I was so thrilled to see how flawlessly they were done. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlUvHk5gpPIeML75DQ_eqpd5dzzQxUNSp7vREhXUbFZKuqPn4GNcMFglPyU4-AW_2AdqvZS68gi2s2vhDMEBdklTBoZWJ41c4NAGb9VXozEgPlcVog4sAzYKJWLh7563kQJgq-84i2t_V/s1600/white+wash+floors+stairs+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlUvHk5gpPIeML75DQ_eqpd5dzzQxUNSp7vREhXUbFZKuqPn4GNcMFglPyU4-AW_2AdqvZS68gi2s2vhDMEBdklTBoZWJ41c4NAGb9VXozEgPlcVog4sAzYKJWLh7563kQJgq-84i2t_V/s640/white+wash+floors+stairs+1.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And that's pretty much it, ya'll.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">That's the story of why we chose to redo our hardwood floors for the second time in a year. And with any luck, I will hopefully never have to think about flooring ever again while we live in this house.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Feel free to laugh about the fact that it took me two redos to get it right in both the upstairs AND the downstairs. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's beyond ridiculous, I know.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> I intentionally waited awhile to tell you about all of this so that we could approach it from a place of humor rather than rage.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Because there were times....</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's such a relief to have it all finished and finally be able to 'move back in' and resume our normal lives.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVczE1DO7wg7W21l4J1xTLJ0rCSMXbDkEdu2f1QRtUceeHUdc4YeLoOyGPxbIEKKbXDaTXnGsgmtSngLZ6vjxYxlgbe3WFppp6UGT1Q5ZEFf5yzBP_ilJqwrt-PG2KZy1Efhi0JwcUslX/s1600/white+washed+hardwood+floors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVczE1DO7wg7W21l4J1xTLJ0rCSMXbDkEdu2f1QRtUceeHUdc4YeLoOyGPxbIEKKbXDaTXnGsgmtSngLZ6vjxYxlgbe3WFppp6UGT1Q5ZEFf5yzBP_ilJqwrt-PG2KZy1Efhi0JwcUslX/s640/white+washed+hardwood+floors.jpg" title="Our new white washed hardwood flooring (and why we had to rip out the old ones after only a year!). Great cautionary tale about how to find a good contractor when renovating your house!" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On a sidenote, so many of you have been so excited to see the nursery and now you know what's been taking me so long. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've spent the last 9 months tearing my entire house apart.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now that everything is finished, I've finally been able to start on the nursery. For now, we've decided to use the old guest room at the end of the hall (the <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/11/diy-ikea-rast-hack-with-sunbleached.html">room</a> with the dark gray walls).</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKqxSXdq6PHgIGoCdd0mqWgWslMtJ5QLOOEHHcAW9zGh1rFqGRZM8RCMawW4RXLRDun3vzt4Ad2yO_Ol8kBUN9lWMUndUHrzkkS7NKbMIpcgcMcXolpR9485C-iY5IiuIfbfLAfagq7O3/s1600/white+washed+hardwood+floors+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKqxSXdq6PHgIGoCdd0mqWgWslMtJ5QLOOEHHcAW9zGh1rFqGRZM8RCMawW4RXLRDun3vzt4Ad2yO_Ol8kBUN9lWMUndUHrzkkS7NKbMIpcgcMcXolpR9485C-iY5IiuIfbfLAfagq7O3/s640/white+washed+hardwood+floors+5.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I'm currently almost 36 weeks and kinda wanna cry tears of relief that I've made it this far.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The thought of making it to term seemed so far away for so long, and I'm so thankful to be so close to the finish line. As you can imagine, I was so scared for so long that I never really allowed myself to think about the nursery, so I'm just now starting to finally put the room together.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And it's so much fun.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Since it's still highly likely I could deliver her before her due date at the end of June, I don't know whether I'll end up sharing her nursery before she gets here or after she's already arrived. But, either way, I promise to eventually share it, because I'm very excited about what's going on at the end of that hall.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But, if for some reason I decide to take a bit of a 'maternity leave' for the entire month of June or July, just know that I'm allowing myself a little time off and that I'll be back. I'm not going to try to predict or plan anything...I'm just going to relax and enjoy the moment. Thank you guys for allowing me to do that. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">'Til next time!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img height="100px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xAR6Q_kagl31bX6LBAAVCCdRqJewGCpd1FmAYsFx1iyVnVPZnrA-I3_CMtXmWV-PwkoNMMCTVhL2fvmeD7giY4Yy0cNdBrUWB3LCD0RjK7RVZ7ytK1bPBjBqlD48Bnk_TCDC7Vk" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="222px;" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a data-pin-color="red" data-pin-config="above" data-pin-do="buttonPin" data-pin-height="28" href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.livelovediy.com%2F2015%2F05%2Four-new-white-washed-hardwood-flooring.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-JPNRE7wr_Yk%2FVWdqqEEB2cI%2FAAAAAAAAZ3s%2FDQeJSDQ_LFE%2Fs1600%2Fcheap%2Bhardwood%2Bflooring.jpg&description=Our%20new%20white%20washed%20hardwood%20flooring%20(and%20why%20we%20had%20to%20rip%20out%20the%20old%20ones%20after%20only%20a%20year!).%20Great%20cautionary%20tale%20about%20how%20to%20find%20a%20good%20contractor%20when%20renovating%20your%20house!"><img src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pinit_fg_en_rect_red_28.png" /></a>
<!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page -->
<script async="" defer="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMtQJA2dMLevNMdzZMT0t2HfgP_Fdi0DQ-HBJCGlFcLUCt03BfKXBz0pLx10XUUlS14w3mYRDG-qLfL6e5gFD1eYnDXv-zrZsvUFn5mxpVmMbPW2VzyqxfoDncbNYwCDKvSV4HTXSZrEFy/s1600/cheap+hardwood+flooring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Our new white washed hardwood flooring (and why we had to rip out the old ones after only a year!). Great cautionary tale about how to find a good contractor when renovating your house!" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMtQJA2dMLevNMdzZMT0t2HfgP_Fdi0DQ-HBJCGlFcLUCt03BfKXBz0pLx10XUUlS14w3mYRDG-qLfL6e5gFD1eYnDXv-zrZsvUFn5mxpVmMbPW2VzyqxfoDncbNYwCDKvSV4HTXSZrEFy/s1600/cheap+hardwood+flooring.jpg" title="Our new white washed hardwood flooring (and why we had to rip out the old ones after only a year!). Great cautionary tale about how to find a good contractor when renovating your house!" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4aMnJer6XFj4EFNlPVAbh1xpSJRBCeW4ZvaKfbIJPSGavLw2fmdqxnh7l1m1_F94CE0NfOLHNUm90MPrIVRshTPXxnOZkqAmOsLC0NriBkqsMx8ZcbNwYYEyPfl7EwETKhU0oy8PycBN/s1600/cheap+hardwood+floors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div>
<!-- Bloglovin Subscribe -->
<br />
<center>
</center>
<center>
</center>
<center>
Follow my blog with<br /> <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3384224/?claim=jkea24f9wt7"><img align="middle" alt="bloglovin' photo BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii634/livelovediy/BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" width="30%" /> </a></center>
<!-- Social Media and Email Subscribe -->
<br />
<center>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.image-maps.com/m/private/7229/5712-LiveLoveDIYSOCIAL_zps2f8f6f4a.jpg" height="45" id="Image-Maps-Com-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" usemap="#image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" width="300" />
<map id="ImageMapsCom-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" name="image-maps-2014-02-16-213014">
<area alt="pinterest" coords="43,0,84,43" href="http://www.pinterest.com/livelovediy/" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Pinterest"></area>
<area alt="facebook" coords="88,1,127,42" href="https://www.facebook.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Facebook"></area>
<area alt="instagram" coords="132,1,173,42" href="http://instagram.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Instagram"></area>
<area alt="twitter" coords="177,0,219,41" href="https://twitter.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Twitter"></area>
<area alt="Image Map" coords="298,43,300,45" href="http://www.image-maps.com/index.php?aff=mapped_users_7229" shape="rect" title="Image Map"></area>
</map>
<form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=livelovediy/PtTE', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 0px solid #ccc; padding: 0px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email!</span></b><br />
Enter your email address:<br />
<input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br />
<input name="uri" type="hidden" value="livelovediy/PtTE" /><input name="loc" type="hidden" value="en_US" /><input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form>
</center>
<!-- NTENT ADS -->
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
var era_rc = {
Styles: '{"thumbnail":{"iw":140,"ww":600,"pa":20,"nr":2,"nc":3},"background":{"color":"transparent"}}',
Scripts: 'thumbnail',
ERADomain: 'as.vs4homeandgarden.com',
PubID: 'livelovediy',
Layout: 'thumbnail',
MaxRelatedItems: '6',
BlockID: 'w600r2i140',
SearchWidgetPosition: '2',
SearchBoxCaption: 'Find More ...',
HeaderText: 'You Might Also Like'
};
(function(){var v='ERA_AD_BLOCK';var i=1;while(document.getElementById(v)){if(i==25)break;v='ERA_AD_BLOCK'+i++;}document.write("<"+"div id='"+v+"'><"+"/div>");
var sch=(location.protocol=='https:'?'https':'http');var host=sch=='http'?'as.ntent.com':'secure.ntent.com';var s=document.createElement('script');var src=sch+"://"+host+"/ERALinks/era_rl.aspx?elid="+v;for(var p in era_rc)
{if(era_rc.hasOwnProperty(p)){src+=decodeURIComponent('%26')+p.toLowerCase()+"="+encodeURIComponent(era_rc[p]);}};s.src=src;document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(s);})();
</script>
<!-- END NTENT ADS -->LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com61tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-25831630644970756232015-05-13T15:59:00.000-04:002015-10-01T06:58:23.413-04:00Maternity Photos and a Pregnancy Update!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFR1NjHi5giL_CojZBYkjwhA8zodvLIx5GGpqIlxmr8KwF6LJj8RQJtF2ihRq_r3ODNeTzhVzEfJ7FpLkY6JLrs_T6gT6HvYCk4RjROP4wcxlh2cGT6nJ9DJp-NAPNMdjMIvehSZ1PLC-5/s1600/maternity+photo+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFR1NjHi5giL_CojZBYkjwhA8zodvLIx5GGpqIlxmr8KwF6LJj8RQJtF2ihRq_r3ODNeTzhVzEfJ7FpLkY6JLrs_T6gT6HvYCk4RjROP4wcxlh2cGT6nJ9DJp-NAPNMdjMIvehSZ1PLC-5/s400/maternity+photo+ideas.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hey ya'll! Thank you so much for all of your sweet comments after last week's basement reveal <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/05/our-1970s-house-makeover-basement.html">post</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It made the 8 months of hard work totally worthwhile and gave me a much needed boost.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I don't have the upstairs ready to share with you just yet (fingers crossed for next week) and the nursery won't be ready for a few more weeks (fingers crossed I get it done before she gets here...OMG), so instead I thought I would share some maternity photos I just had done.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As many of you know, this <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/04/pregnancy-updates.html">pregnancy</a> has been really hard on me, filled with all day morning sickness and preterm labor scares. As I write this, I'm currently halfway through week 33 and I'm feeling so much better (both mentally and physically). My second trimester was absolutely terrifying, so to be in my third trimester and feeling good is something I don't take for granted even for a second. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I kinda wake up every morning and say 'Yay! I feel like a gross sweaty manatee, but I'm so happy to still be pregnant!'. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, as of now, everything is going well, and I'm hopeful that I will make it to term or at least pretty close. I've been able to get off my couch and do things a normal pregnant lady would do, and let me tell you...normal feels SO good. I've been able to spend time with friends (and my brother who has been in town for two weeks...makes me so happy), and as a little treat to myself, I had some maternity photos taken last week. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Celebrating the belly, if you will.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> If you live in the Knoxville area, I highly recommend my friend <a href="https://www.facebook.com/knoxvillephotos?fref=ts">Lori Hensley</a>. She does beautiful work and I know I'll treasure these forever.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Here are just a few of my favorites.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWxN74-hJ8of-jC1iYnIXH9GQhAHpaLn0pwuyBzhE1KNVFVaxsgxUrmCog3p0wh-HIla77BQ7aWT1LGc6vRXlATIHiou_msxlUBE-6gQ433MsNsAF7texiB_h_16RHdhczza03KTbSL2L/s1600/Virginia-Maternity-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWxN74-hJ8of-jC1iYnIXH9GQhAHpaLn0pwuyBzhE1KNVFVaxsgxUrmCog3p0wh-HIla77BQ7aWT1LGc6vRXlATIHiou_msxlUBE-6gQ433MsNsAF7texiB_h_16RHdhczza03KTbSL2L/s640/Virginia-Maternity-9.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZvPzxx2qD8jPiq9a9IAxhCnhiX50oLVOIFPWYhIP6A0xPi3pXgisFqMJZ6FOdgRNsrrlrhfiKr62boVBWEV-vyeK9e20rEiAka3scwRB375eI_p12-ioCgmY1oCx7saAUBTwviFgvM8h/s1600/Virginia-Maternity-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZvPzxx2qD8jPiq9a9IAxhCnhiX50oLVOIFPWYhIP6A0xPi3pXgisFqMJZ6FOdgRNsrrlrhfiKr62boVBWEV-vyeK9e20rEiAka3scwRB375eI_p12-ioCgmY1oCx7saAUBTwviFgvM8h/s640/Virginia-Maternity-12.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqI2BrkiX9fad1fYJ-er-KSNpgr6gfOhJvUlStlgoj5wTZ_QiAkKNwQd5tYwao77naiod1jidajlW08kluG7FKQ5zpFsp-_njV_xulUBsYx7WFDWLiE-PKZIOI1bfWQCtsr1fkQuqWW0JE/s1600/Virginia-Maternity-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqI2BrkiX9fad1fYJ-er-KSNpgr6gfOhJvUlStlgoj5wTZ_QiAkKNwQd5tYwao77naiod1jidajlW08kluG7FKQ5zpFsp-_njV_xulUBsYx7WFDWLiE-PKZIOI1bfWQCtsr1fkQuqWW0JE/s640/Virginia-Maternity-13.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKjx8EN7hkA9sdGpe4oHKkt0bhXvjhABrpQ7UaB1S_H9_Sbupz1tqnlbIh2V-sswLupVPxsoLdjrx8IwbCVlMxM3dx_S1OpIEHoUs47gbzN5-A1z8CNHNEFHv3ONjISrcyjtOFMB7qBmj/s1600/Virginia-Maternity-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKjx8EN7hkA9sdGpe4oHKkt0bhXvjhABrpQ7UaB1S_H9_Sbupz1tqnlbIh2V-sswLupVPxsoLdjrx8IwbCVlMxM3dx_S1OpIEHoUs47gbzN5-A1z8CNHNEFHv3ONjISrcyjtOFMB7qBmj/s640/Virginia-Maternity-18.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmcGQs-qWasqjHY-GmNsH5hnjt67lEgEZj0gf2L6wOvke19CWIO7WUEofj8sffXlW2aWgw5okJq-6X_noYSsnZXE5AkPlEdTfvEuuWqB0rHCVyzllhSIhZgriQYoURO34wc2XUdtRDt7K3/s1600/Virginia-Maternity-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmcGQs-qWasqjHY-GmNsH5hnjt67lEgEZj0gf2L6wOvke19CWIO7WUEofj8sffXlW2aWgw5okJq-6X_noYSsnZXE5AkPlEdTfvEuuWqB0rHCVyzllhSIhZgriQYoURO34wc2XUdtRDt7K3/s640/Virginia-Maternity-19.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNzVp7pz_9jYytYQjMkzU5HQEGFd61d6-DlfyshdtG6QgnC6zmUchQgC2TA4Vz0RLODtBD6oc1G1-QJ-XJ_GK_fC8_ToRkgFSvNn42rbpxvdSj-NgyaBClI-hAlKLKMNAFO1Outya4Fr1/s1600/Virginia-Maternity-30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNzVp7pz_9jYytYQjMkzU5HQEGFd61d6-DlfyshdtG6QgnC6zmUchQgC2TA4Vz0RLODtBD6oc1G1-QJ-XJ_GK_fC8_ToRkgFSvNn42rbpxvdSj-NgyaBClI-hAlKLKMNAFO1Outya4Fr1/s640/Virginia-Maternity-30.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY17mrZKg8DrJbLPJM9zBfRlhZ-GFpDw7vqtG7pZK77uJNl4Bp1uzOcKGmKzuzcf_tTdFNOz4p23YD8sL7ZQjFhH6M88OqINcDPEWHbYMUK7jrKjVs5g1oNk3M93wfluEacZ3wQd8Q9vx5/s1600/Virginia-Maternity-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY17mrZKg8DrJbLPJM9zBfRlhZ-GFpDw7vqtG7pZK77uJNl4Bp1uzOcKGmKzuzcf_tTdFNOz4p23YD8sL7ZQjFhH6M88OqINcDPEWHbYMUK7jrKjVs5g1oNk3M93wfluEacZ3wQd8Q9vx5/s640/Virginia-Maternity-10.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">That's all for today, ya'll! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thanks so much for being here! :)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 33.1199989318848px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img height="100px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xAR6Q_kagl31bX6LBAAVCCdRqJewGCpd1FmAYsFx1iyVnVPZnrA-I3_CMtXmWV-PwkoNMMCTVhL2fvmeD7giY4Yy0cNdBrUWB3LCD0RjK7RVZ7ytK1bPBjBqlD48Bnk_TCDC7Vk" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="222px;" /></span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div>
<!-- Bloglovin Subscribe -->
<br />
<center>
</center>
<center>
</center>
<center>
Follow my blog with<br /> <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3384224/?claim=jkea24f9wt7"><img align="middle" alt="bloglovin' photo BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii634/livelovediy/BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" width="30%" /> </a></center>
<!-- Social Media and Email Subscribe -->
<br />
<center>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.image-maps.com/m/private/7229/5712-LiveLoveDIYSOCIAL_zps2f8f6f4a.jpg" height="45" id="Image-Maps-Com-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" usemap="#image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" width="300" />
<map id="ImageMapsCom-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" name="image-maps-2014-02-16-213014">
<area alt="pinterest" coords="43,0,84,43" href="http://www.pinterest.com/livelovediy/" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Pinterest"></area>
<area alt="facebook" coords="88,1,127,42" href="https://www.facebook.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Facebook"></area>
<area alt="instagram" coords="132,1,173,42" href="http://instagram.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Instagram"></area>
<area alt="twitter" coords="177,0,219,41" href="https://twitter.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Twitter"></area>
<area alt="Image Map" coords="298,43,300,45" href="http://www.image-maps.com/index.php?aff=mapped_users_7229" shape="rect" title="Image Map"></area>
</map>
<form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=livelovediy/PtTE', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 0px solid #ccc; padding: 0px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email!</span></b><br />
Enter your email address:<br />
<input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br />
<input name="uri" type="hidden" value="livelovediy/PtTE" /><input name="loc" type="hidden" value="en_US" /><input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form>
</center>
<!-- NTENT ADS -->
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
var era_rc = {
Styles: '{"thumbnail":{"iw":140,"ww":600,"pa":20,"nr":2,"nc":3},"background":{"color":"transparent"}}',
Scripts: 'thumbnail',
ERADomain: 'as.vs4homeandgarden.com',
PubID: 'livelovediy',
Layout: 'thumbnail',
MaxRelatedItems: '6',
BlockID: 'w600r2i140',
SearchWidgetPosition: '2',
SearchBoxCaption: 'Find More ...',
HeaderText: 'You Might Also Like'
};
(function(){var v='ERA_AD_BLOCK';var i=1;while(document.getElementById(v)){if(i==25)break;v='ERA_AD_BLOCK'+i++;}document.write("<"+"div id='"+v+"'><"+"/div>");
var sch=(location.protocol=='https:'?'https':'http');var host=sch=='http'?'as.ntent.com':'secure.ntent.com';var s=document.createElement('script');var src=sch+"://"+host+"/ERALinks/era_rl.aspx?elid="+v;for(var p in era_rc)
{if(era_rc.hasOwnProperty(p)){src+=decodeURIComponent('%26')+p.toLowerCase()+"="+encodeURIComponent(era_rc[p]);}};s.src=src;document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(s);})();
</script>
<!-- END NTENT ADS -->LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-4274075476604133732015-05-07T16:20:00.002-04:002015-10-01T06:58:48.208-04:00Our 1970's House Makeover: The Basement Makeover is FINALLY Done!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgaOWAu3Geb3n2qhjlUPOBuWc7JG7xb5Eqs7TPUVjMKgoUN-efrSmLqHJD8yGrneRjNlsU8cdvz_Kq1oWXT6nqiiF6Py6ErGsWdd3Ou4yIFI6yO7Oq-Vsc_tuJCEgoe8w8zCtyQKE2Fchf/s1600/HOUSE+RENOVATION+IDEAS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgaOWAu3Geb3n2qhjlUPOBuWc7JG7xb5Eqs7TPUVjMKgoUN-efrSmLqHJD8yGrneRjNlsU8cdvz_Kq1oWXT6nqiiF6Py6ErGsWdd3Ou4yIFI6yO7Oq-Vsc_tuJCEgoe8w8zCtyQKE2Fchf/s400/HOUSE+RENOVATION+IDEAS.jpg" title="Our 1970s House Makeover: The Basement Makeover Before and Afters!" width="286" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The basement is finally finished!!!!!!!!!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ya'll. When I first showed you the beginnings of the basement renovation, I had no idea it would take us 8 months to finish it. I just looked back on the date of that <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/10/the-basement-renovation-part-one.html">first</a> post, and lo and behold, I pretty much wrote it the day I got pregnant.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Sooooo....that's way too much information, but I feel like it's my best shot at explaining why I moved at extreme sloth speed on this one.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let me warn you on the front end...this is a long post. I debated on breaking it up into several smaller posts, but I've made you wait long enough. So, today you're getting 8 months of hard work crammed into one long post. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let's start at the beginning. Eight months ago, the basement pretty much looked like the below picture. I used it as a hoarding room for projects gone bad, it smelled like a litter box, and it seemed to be the official countrywide meeting place for spiders and ants.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I avoided it like the plague.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgi_ulg02C8rgka3huDk09SkZCH7uowqvzpJfnlgEjeiH0hu4rMN8nxLYZskNT0y_cxoy_BKJJAmVlMQTwsuiEXBOj9QEi_cdlqfm03GzQqxQ7EFRK3GbF85EX-WczCwR5lG2m-g0O2vag/s1600/2+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgi_ulg02C8rgka3huDk09SkZCH7uowqvzpJfnlgEjeiH0hu4rMN8nxLYZskNT0y_cxoy_BKJJAmVlMQTwsuiEXBOj9QEi_cdlqfm03GzQqxQ7EFRK3GbF85EX-WczCwR5lG2m-g0O2vag/s640/2+copy.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once we decided to take the plunge on renovating it (worst timing ever), we ripped up all of the gross cat carpet and old 1970's trim.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dG4_cggprDb2ClmzzLoxlHfpYMAv5RQUYlC5V6igTQIwMVVsTLHnd4oFX84Vs-NZ1p0J3OyAu8v9pgzpV7gpKw2XwoVvXEFmIPan0eiLC8yXw_bB-U82Vfy0eTdhsT0AxFZtOc2nLefY/s1600/basement+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dG4_cggprDb2ClmzzLoxlHfpYMAv5RQUYlC5V6igTQIwMVVsTLHnd4oFX84Vs-NZ1p0J3OyAu8v9pgzpV7gpKw2XwoVvXEFmIPan0eiLC8yXw_bB-U82Vfy0eTdhsT0AxFZtOc2nLefY/s640/basement+1.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And this is where the trouble began. I've been putting off writing this post for weeks because, well....SHAME.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The bottom line is this: Back in October I chose the grossest brown wood plank tile ever. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In my defense, I was newly pregnant, sick as hell, and I totally let some salvage store sales guy bulldoze me into a purchase I didn't really love. I think this picture of Jesse looking at the tile in the store kinda sums it up.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimmS7vr8I16HGitFZtu2fL_9vG78NzCgxb7CUwVOpEBQL2sLyIhtXYUuSo-c8_vJfcSDhm7iJnnH7IPqFeMlgxiSAEBUtq1f0qrBCMxtN-Nkz8YDIuPnsTcQCEYUaPKKTm6Dg6-HRrmYQ3/s1600/brown+tile+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimmS7vr8I16HGitFZtu2fL_9vG78NzCgxb7CUwVOpEBQL2sLyIhtXYUuSo-c8_vJfcSDhm7iJnnH7IPqFeMlgxiSAEBUtq1f0qrBCMxtN-Nkz8YDIuPnsTcQCEYUaPKKTm6Dg6-HRrmYQ3/s640/brown+tile+1.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And what's even worse.....once we brought the tile home, half of it was damaged and dirty (we assumed all of the gunk would come off during the dehazing process...and it definitely did NOT), and while the tile looked a little more gray in the store, in our basement it was a lovely shade of poop brown.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtvYWnIfAIfwi6QBab1tfcbRN2QcziGbjRsfY8rq0Ja7GI-svhwLaZVtnhIv8sQ9LBMhUcKul3FFKylpqGpnXnh4y08leTpfZoW0OcPbs6QhgRDz4nVQkmhLEknm2cSNGiVjImG8tWDpHN/s1600/brown+tile.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtvYWnIfAIfwi6QBab1tfcbRN2QcziGbjRsfY8rq0Ja7GI-svhwLaZVtnhIv8sQ9LBMhUcKul3FFKylpqGpnXnh4y08leTpfZoW0OcPbs6QhgRDz4nVQkmhLEknm2cSNGiVjImG8tWDpHN/s640/brown+tile.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But we pushed forward. Because that's what you do when you spend $1000 on tile that you can't return.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Never again, salvage shop. NEVER AGAIN.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicT6-hCBRDmoXYKAyy7NWasa_x5x-PoiDzqiD790BqOuVc60tnwyH3sm9GoZ2awq3JrQXgIZhXsFsiM-s-PJoC2kJr69mKdhCg9_E-I5loImQ6Cc8JkwOrHU_gzdZ9YE6UlpaWv-ekRE0n/s1600/IMG_4957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicT6-hCBRDmoXYKAyy7NWasa_x5x-PoiDzqiD790BqOuVc60tnwyH3sm9GoZ2awq3JrQXgIZhXsFsiM-s-PJoC2kJr69mKdhCg9_E-I5loImQ6Cc8JkwOrHU_gzdZ9YE6UlpaWv-ekRE0n/s640/IMG_4957.jpg" width="484" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jesse spent about two weeks installing this poop tile in the entire basement. And while I tried to encourage him and cheer him on (he worked so hard and did such a good job), I was also secretly crying inside. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I knew I hated it from the moment he installed the first tile, but I just couldn't speak up. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I feel like it's a life long mission of mine to learn how to trust my instincts. I tend to always know what I really want right from the beginning, but I'm so bad at listening to my gut. I get pressured into things really easily, and I'm the worst at speaking my mind. I basically have to disaster-ify something and then cry about it for a couple weeks before I have the balls to <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/05/our-new-white-washed-hardwood-flooring.html">start over and fix it</a>. It's a painfully obvious flaw.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, as you can see in the below picture, I was really diving headfirst into the 'make the 1970's basement even more of a dark pit' strategy. I was testing out dark gray paint colors on the walls, and obviously....poop floors. I think I felt some sort of self-imposed pressure to make this into a 'mancave', and so I didn't really take into account what would actually look the best in our house.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJs4NyxPcQrj4bY4sjglshgLYDYkYuTW3TZOCUphQjBlxiNhmQxTmqH8Q5CAgcYypC-7IcvpGXxlhYVCQfTEICjtHuWpWrsxQuF5Bt8FUaPu3M2TGsJR1kXsghQ7kYXhL9GDbjoCdy0RPF/s1600/brown+tile+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJs4NyxPcQrj4bY4sjglshgLYDYkYuTW3TZOCUphQjBlxiNhmQxTmqH8Q5CAgcYypC-7IcvpGXxlhYVCQfTEICjtHuWpWrsxQuF5Bt8FUaPu3M2TGsJR1kXsghQ7kYXhL9GDbjoCdy0RPF/s640/brown+tile+3.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Also, after several attempts of dehazing the tile, it still dried like this. And the dark gray grout we used dried white. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">All in all, a totally ideal outcome.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Sarcasm.</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRPqi6c4EUcF7xTbSYz3ED354pkc60LzlIvN-0rqHQh79sQNiRvr1cLRWRomtPHXL6IOGQDvjiJ8Y0wT0zooRD6ztyO6SjS-wF0BDabK8g9GgBdV-UD25r6YKTdgT7IkLDIRUVy6sA1vm/s1600/brown+tile+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRPqi6c4EUcF7xTbSYz3ED354pkc60LzlIvN-0rqHQh79sQNiRvr1cLRWRomtPHXL6IOGQDvjiJ8Y0wT0zooRD6ztyO6SjS-wF0BDabK8g9GgBdV-UD25r6YKTdgT7IkLDIRUVy6sA1vm/s640/brown+tile+4.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> So, we decided to pay someone to come professionally dehaze the tile, and they weren't able to do it either. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The disaster just kept growing with intensity.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, I spent a few days freaking out and feeling like we were just going to have to live with this. Because who asks their husband to rip up 1000 square feet of tile he just spent two weeks installing by himself.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, after a few days of soul searching...I do.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It took a little convincing, but ultimately Jesse admitted that he really hated the tile, too, and that we should just suck it up and fix it. The minute we were both on the same page, I felt a huge wave of relief, and I knew it was the right decision. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And I'll be honest. We decided to pay someone to come demo the poop tile and install the new tile of our choice. I was obviously pretty worthless (renovation-wise) at this point, and it was just one of those times where we knew it would suck to spend the money, but that it would be money well spent. And it was. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And I never captured a picture of the floor guys demo-ing and installing the new floors (because it's so awkward to tell contractors that you're a blogger and then take pictures of them). But, here's a reminder of what the floors looked like after the poop tile was removed.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLey1RZMgP3axxLo93GEcHXlkhw514bQ5TZMV0AuO4Z0Q1MP2drsGaT9Gb42x_BE61w-ktzucOrT32runuwKG9toNeLnoKaqBPiOxPdFSvYFbAFmJlD6tlT-FkEUkTY54DbLJfKVT91l9/s1600/c.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLey1RZMgP3axxLo93GEcHXlkhw514bQ5TZMV0AuO4Z0Q1MP2drsGaT9Gb42x_BE61w-ktzucOrT32runuwKG9toNeLnoKaqBPiOxPdFSvYFbAFmJlD6tlT-FkEUkTY54DbLJfKVT91l9/s640/c.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4rpuz0m2a4p2pz3DZBHTcUylAOt3_plkzc0IVLBTKKryDF7KQ-TDgjH0OrRkLZKP-xoQ1Cy1YNFC8DIPXZUAmyAZWWaYuasx74Ghm6ol7O4Y-5bNktT5y8JxMWSNQLqZvYNmnIKl3fAr/s1600/basement+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4rpuz0m2a4p2pz3DZBHTcUylAOt3_plkzc0IVLBTKKryDF7KQ-TDgjH0OrRkLZKP-xoQ1Cy1YNFC8DIPXZUAmyAZWWaYuasx74Ghm6ol7O4Y-5bNktT5y8JxMWSNQLqZvYNmnIKl3fAr/s640/basement+2.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">After the tile was removed, I spent a lot of time going to different home improvement stores and flooring stores and weighing my options. I was determined to make the right flooring decision this time (and honestly terrified that I was just gonna make a mess of it all over again).</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But luckily, I did end up making a great decision.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I chose the Leonia Silver wood plank <a href="http://www.lowes.com/pd_486467-1813-1095731___?productId=50015950&pl=1&Ntt=leonia+silver#img">tile</a> from Lowe's in the 6x24 inch. And I just chose a grout to match the tile because I didn't want too much contrast.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Lowe's didn't provide me with tile or pay me to tell you about this. I bought this tile with my own money like a normal person and I'm telling you about it because I like it. </i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3QW-bEQA7fZap1Hcndypr36WWgB7jl6-W1aKuSe69IqMfKzXzNVdEb-b_qpNllIhnzbKRkhdS6PyNVbstPKeShqX09jl8E0-xZy2LuzhigW0gkq0lwqogOlzHafsWpCVgXQdrAj0kP6T5/s1600/leonia+silver+wood+plank+tile+lowes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3QW-bEQA7fZap1Hcndypr36WWgB7jl6-W1aKuSe69IqMfKzXzNVdEb-b_qpNllIhnzbKRkhdS6PyNVbstPKeShqX09jl8E0-xZy2LuzhigW0gkq0lwqogOlzHafsWpCVgXQdrAj0kP6T5/s640/leonia+silver+wood+plank+tile+lowes.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, after the new tile was installed (and I felt like I could breathe again), I decided to follow my heart and just make this entire space light and bright and basically the opposite of my original awful plan. Our house is from the 1970's and it just looks better when it's light and bright.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>You'd think I would've learned this lesson when I stained the <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/04/our-1970s-house-makeover-part-5-my.html">upstairs floors</a> dark brown and had to redo them. </i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>YOU WOULD THINK.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>AND YOU WOULD WOULD BE WRONG.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, Jesse painted all of the dark beige walls white. I used Sherwin Williams Simply White like we did <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/05/how-to-choose-paint-color-10-tips-to.html">upstairs</a>.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVrV6BdFm4WH6S7PkdQusHosw3p_FfSPOzHXOplLEZ9kpJnM6S3x25N3UF8dR5irMJ1sJIY5DqtYxhg0HeJT44Ls6vI0i0M7kRQSjf8ttvJPJochp04yIJWOBMPKYiuNU9JwiIT348_sgL/s1600/after+3.00.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVrV6BdFm4WH6S7PkdQusHosw3p_FfSPOzHXOplLEZ9kpJnM6S3x25N3UF8dR5irMJ1sJIY5DqtYxhg0HeJT44Ls6vI0i0M7kRQSjf8ttvJPJochp04yIJWOBMPKYiuNU9JwiIT348_sgL/s640/after+3.00.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And then, fresh off the energy high of finally choosing the right tile, I decided to do something that I've wanted to do since the day we moved into this house.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had Jesse paint the fireplace.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For those of you who have been following the blog for awhile, you know I've debated painting the upstairs fireplace for years. And when I <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/03/our-1970s-house-makeover-part-two.html">mentioned</a> it a few times on the blog, I got a massive wave of emails from you guys. Half of you wanted me to paint it <i>so</i> bad, and half of you were absolutely freaking out about me ruining it. It totally got in my head, and I never painted it. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, since the basement fireplace is much smaller, easier to paint, and well, in the basement, I decided to take a leap of faith and just do it.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I tested out a little dark gray paint first and decided it looked awful, and ultimately went with the same simply white paint we used on the walls. The goal in the end was to just make it blend in with the walls and ultimately make the space feel larger.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And it totally worked.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFD8PuIF_glOjrKGh2vYxHFd309RUeseoNcUpobKyCm0k3X1h34eCiwOB8helAiga4mo2GHPyRN_GOGx-_-38EesqC7czkTVwj3xxyg6VUnBJoVBcZeJyPCf5qTOhaySMah2WgOdjUQLo/s1600/after+6.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFD8PuIF_glOjrKGh2vYxHFd309RUeseoNcUpobKyCm0k3X1h34eCiwOB8helAiga4mo2GHPyRN_GOGx-_-38EesqC7czkTVwj3xxyg6VUnBJoVBcZeJyPCf5qTOhaySMah2WgOdjUQLo/s640/after+6.0.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are a few before and after shots so you can see how much it brightened up the space.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Before...looking into the living room.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-54DnN4HvjsnCwKYt7WqKHmJixG7o7GRU5ULLf2JScvrKFFdCzDM9YtcQeNl0G8AS2P4s12ZYU-tCrE5Cnahv9__bk1elfnhZyr6L_cTVNerMk_PaYLyWBJglQl814xfsyKteRUQ6k1r9/s1600/after+3.1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-54DnN4HvjsnCwKYt7WqKHmJixG7o7GRU5ULLf2JScvrKFFdCzDM9YtcQeNl0G8AS2P4s12ZYU-tCrE5Cnahv9__bk1elfnhZyr6L_cTVNerMk_PaYLyWBJglQl814xfsyKteRUQ6k1r9/s640/after+3.1.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And after....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1G6VbyaItM5mMLP-IC3ByzGgpENzKEj5cZZ8_MkgRs8eh5C0vBO7KO8Fz5OPTbPsS5X8XLehSyWZm0rV-T0MxHZ8fcA_OcFuRfZ-29U4bevKc9lRHMb4RFT681spuPj9psJGV01NavMEy/s1600/after+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1G6VbyaItM5mMLP-IC3ByzGgpENzKEj5cZZ8_MkgRs8eh5C0vBO7KO8Fz5OPTbPsS5X8XLehSyWZm0rV-T0MxHZ8fcA_OcFuRfZ-29U4bevKc9lRHMb4RFT681spuPj9psJGV01NavMEy/s640/after+3.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Before...looking towards the fireplace.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKcmqhlwSTlEPO5WVqME1iR7dsqZ-6ButJRb4b4NKdwkfIyraGIfPLV8PfDXVXBC3oixNpaOXl8DoIqb55Rocs6rWdahDiMKOe61oIJxDy6I65zXf81fVPVyIM_XFdkFnU7XyMLHVM7_F/s1600/after+4.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKcmqhlwSTlEPO5WVqME1iR7dsqZ-6ButJRb4b4NKdwkfIyraGIfPLV8PfDXVXBC3oixNpaOXl8DoIqb55Rocs6rWdahDiMKOe61oIJxDy6I65zXf81fVPVyIM_XFdkFnU7XyMLHVM7_F/s640/after+4.1.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And after.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGP0fmLCLju2t1qKnhK4iChdrDMXhkpk3NG34qpq0UkbCfTLeP5JGqg7D0sJL6eZGPpMq1_nb8Y2NIETsO6ohMVrxmjGPCWaGUsqkWstnmWIiUHSnc4tjzilAkKC3TQpdckKNU3vOG0gtp/s1600/AFTER+4.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGP0fmLCLju2t1qKnhK4iChdrDMXhkpk3NG34qpq0UkbCfTLeP5JGqg7D0sJL6eZGPpMq1_nb8Y2NIETsO6ohMVrxmjGPCWaGUsqkWstnmWIiUHSnc4tjzilAkKC3TQpdckKNU3vOG0gtp/s640/AFTER+4.2.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And here's the room as it looks today. We painted the inside of the fireplace box with black high-heat paint and it really just added the perfect finishing touch. I might add a mantle like I did <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2013/11/how-to-build-mantel.html">upstairs</a>, but I'll get to that later. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlTX-V-fIaK19XrQ_dI1Dzpp_igcFBgxnnZ_pn62Sc0bzC-jwCQG06xJCk9EmsTiuUMZ95x0MnLl9qM5tiRC0qKC4RSD3jz64HC0bzierpPxlpeffXjpqcoGO7eJIuZPiSFR_fxn9pAZb/s1600/basement+2+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlTX-V-fIaK19XrQ_dI1Dzpp_igcFBgxnnZ_pn62Sc0bzC-jwCQG06xJCk9EmsTiuUMZ95x0MnLl9qM5tiRC0qKC4RSD3jz64HC0bzierpPxlpeffXjpqcoGO7eJIuZPiSFR_fxn9pAZb/s640/basement+2+copy.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And here's how it looks from the other direction. We're making some major changes upstairs (which I plan on showing you in my <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/05/our-new-white-washed-hardwood-flooring.html">next post</a>) and so the upstairs furniture has been moved downstairs. And all I really added was a Homegoods ottoman. Because where else can you find an ottoman for $100.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZMjGyQ67LSKtZoa-kXnW8jL9zU5rIUwDejDbQU43r6mVIqDa6DO1d2ory9BPKwnpbfxGfNOrcEvXmam67-l30Wa-sn1aiCNDauhUx_gSUUBmmy7XghuiXcgagQmkBrit6hH2z9IJRfaF/s1600/basement+1+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZMjGyQ67LSKtZoa-kXnW8jL9zU5rIUwDejDbQU43r6mVIqDa6DO1d2ory9BPKwnpbfxGfNOrcEvXmam67-l30Wa-sn1aiCNDauhUx_gSUUBmmy7XghuiXcgagQmkBrit6hH2z9IJRfaF/s640/basement+1+copy.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I know painted fireplaces aren't for everyone, but</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> in the end, we're both really happy with the way it turned out and the entire room just feels bigger and more modern. And Jesse was very apprehensive about doing this and by the time it was finished, he wouldn't shut up about how awesome it looked. So, it was really a great learning lesson in trusting my vision. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>And for the record, since the day we moved into this house, Jesse has basically let me turn our house into a frilly dollhouse and he's never once batted an eye. But every time I mentioned painting the fireplace there was a tiny look of terror on his face. So, a huge thank you to Jesse for trusting my judgement (even after the brown tile disaster).</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>He's a good one. :)</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18FPyTB7PfUhxIPUDOaSzOdIUtu2fqHINKAnRvzTwdDjqwUHIFvYIxEi5VCNsehHWrcvFNRJSOfAzUkF1FsK7JxcW8lhlgwmVI_QK1KZdGHosFgYEKvB8IuCI66aBN7wEXYCwwESc0E85/s1600/basement+3+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18FPyTB7PfUhxIPUDOaSzOdIUtu2fqHINKAnRvzTwdDjqwUHIFvYIxEi5VCNsehHWrcvFNRJSOfAzUkF1FsK7JxcW8lhlgwmVI_QK1KZdGHosFgYEKvB8IuCI66aBN7wEXYCwwESc0E85/s640/basement+3+copy.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We also updated all of the light fixtures in the basement. The worst offenders were the dark brown boob lights in the living room area. Always a fave.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkabRUlvnvVJyUZW6sDtuqBq6UJO38Xsthyphenhyphen8VYojuz1MuKg94BiOf9HnyWGMb3-vly-4jC9Qdv8iEccG3qwL6VsVF3MueKloHgAJHglx3tqQCmIAR9APJHEPAljQjGMeOATtTCtEBULnOv/s1600/LIGHT+FIXTURE+REPLACING.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkabRUlvnvVJyUZW6sDtuqBq6UJO38Xsthyphenhyphen8VYojuz1MuKg94BiOf9HnyWGMb3-vly-4jC9Qdv8iEccG3qwL6VsVF3MueKloHgAJHglx3tqQCmIAR9APJHEPAljQjGMeOATtTCtEBULnOv/s640/LIGHT+FIXTURE+REPLACING.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We upgraded them with some beautiful chrome and glass flush mounts from <a href="http://www.lampsplus.com/products/possini-euro-design-flair-16-and-three-quarter-inch-wide-chrome-ceiling-light__3k580.html">Lamps Plus</a>.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDg0B8fiVoR8wEEA0083W21BH7LMKQTYQVOMX8i3WHBX77ATlHbY8eD3FNwHXnPAy4SCHFd8zG_HqZZN-2xWqK0dS93zQr5OheEBiaxXQAkKPsS3NxOiJRim6M7pclH9GwWIUZiXiyyhGx/s1600/basement+4+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDg0B8fiVoR8wEEA0083W21BH7LMKQTYQVOMX8i3WHBX77ATlHbY8eD3FNwHXnPAy4SCHFd8zG_HqZZN-2xWqK0dS93zQr5OheEBiaxXQAkKPsS3NxOiJRim6M7pclH9GwWIUZiXiyyhGx/s640/basement+4+copy.jpg" width="492" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And I haven't hung any wall art down here (or even upstairs) and am still feeling very minimalist in my approach to the walls. There's something about spending the better part of a year renovating a space and then feeling very 'iffy' about poking a bunch of holes in the wall.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8v7JNCNRL-KSiNewHxYKwI4qfrkK_lGlbu23aw1hsjO2F36lrAcuTUrPAWe77aIff4MLz1euSbiZfu4b9CEjK_3Pnwlgbbo-Ge95MNJnS0ti_74h-XtDvGy6f2tHmH7W0t7UfWlytxpDT/s1600/basement+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8v7JNCNRL-KSiNewHxYKwI4qfrkK_lGlbu23aw1hsjO2F36lrAcuTUrPAWe77aIff4MLz1euSbiZfu4b9CEjK_3Pnwlgbbo-Ge95MNJnS0ti_74h-XtDvGy6f2tHmH7W0t7UfWlytxpDT/s640/basement+6.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, that's the living room!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Now let's move on to the rest of the basement. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Remember the bedroom? This is how it looked before we renovated it. We had ripped up the carpet years earlier (CATS!) and it was just a disgusting box of carpet glue and dust.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafSx0LOajxO5nEoxwEpqb3lYueCBy9_fkL-LVfBBuPTeimT3IcaPfPY8QfPRdmQjfR2b4RdmQ_nWCO6V7RrWYMMJ51qS2KBzxtuQt4wYcroP6oFAjsyHKTd2Yr73Z3hsnJUAq_2fpgFKR/s1600/basement+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafSx0LOajxO5nEoxwEpqb3lYueCBy9_fkL-LVfBBuPTeimT3IcaPfPY8QfPRdmQjfR2b4RdmQ_nWCO6V7RrWYMMJ51qS2KBzxtuQt4wYcroP6oFAjsyHKTd2Yr73Z3hsnJUAq_2fpgFKR/s640/basement+3.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And this is what it looks like with the new flooring, freshly painted walls, and brand new chunky trim.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYWsqe8Du9VdVpZwMO_C2bEaPPD3xkQ1N537Mc2fc2LixwBdtKUteCBvox3VthEv8Q9QD8jtYz9i0BaT5Sqs85OB6tVQv4iu5g3H48syHkdIMdI5VCksrz5Q7pBFa6ie8dDsOBmxn14sBu/s1600/guest+bed+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYWsqe8Du9VdVpZwMO_C2bEaPPD3xkQ1N537Mc2fc2LixwBdtKUteCBvox3VthEv8Q9QD8jtYz9i0BaT5Sqs85OB6tVQv4iu5g3H48syHkdIMdI5VCksrz5Q7pBFa6ie8dDsOBmxn14sBu/s640/guest+bed+2.JPG" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We're currently using this room as the new guest bedroom and home office. It's a massive room and gets tons of daylight, and it's been so nice to come down here and relax from time to time.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We replaced the light fixture in here with the same flush mount that we used in the living room, and we added an amazing new rug from <a href="http://www.rugsusa.com/rugsusa/rugs/rugs-usa-edison/nickel/200SBHAC13A-508.html">Rugs USA</a>. (It's the Satara Edison in Nickel.)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The upholstered bed was a craigslist find and the bedside tables are the Ikea Rast dressers I stained gray in <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/11/diy-ikea-rast-hack-with-sunbleached.html">this</a> post.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg473Hvl56lI-Rl0YCeiT6LjhlkWLnVJMihYjaUGhIlBkV7bfU45oZv0duWpCjaX1SKTtoqLFyEs680Wu0ma6B_XsDcOkCWdRVtEcdbk5dNsZplMkL6CwYJJYgWgrXed-hI9DTEdbROY8SD/s1600/basement+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg473Hvl56lI-Rl0YCeiT6LjhlkWLnVJMihYjaUGhIlBkV7bfU45oZv0duWpCjaX1SKTtoqLFyEs680Wu0ma6B_XsDcOkCWdRVtEcdbk5dNsZplMkL6CwYJJYgWgrXed-hI9DTEdbROY8SD/s640/basement+5.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And just yesterday, I changed out the hardware on the dressers with <a href="http://www.dlawlesshardware.com/chcuppup1.html">these</a> super affordable chrome cup pulls. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>You can see in the above pic that they still had the gold hardware, and I think the chrome works so much better in this space. It's the little things.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTm_qhGHlK5XTzcld7bYlChVqwfEzJx0qjtpItJi-37VUzEvdoMoA0DFWhc92T8wrhHW7_sFQJcYQG-gWK5I3Wnhu23uuIEM844snx2-CbCyQ5VQTzKRqZVJuqzO145svSSGadKRlB48-/s1600/bedroom+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTm_qhGHlK5XTzcld7bYlChVqwfEzJx0qjtpItJi-37VUzEvdoMoA0DFWhc92T8wrhHW7_sFQJcYQG-gWK5I3Wnhu23uuIEM844snx2-CbCyQ5VQTzKRqZVJuqzO145svSSGadKRlB48-/s640/bedroom+ideas.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The bedding is just stuff I had around the house. The pink velvet <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/12/keeping-it-simple-my-2014-christmas.html">pillow</a> is from Etsy and the patterned pillows are from Target </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">(I think they're still there.).</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ELUr_THQROGuxUXsK4uecmgf3lS1a5Q8jBAJM5yzgc8AJDg5hWqWayWiHz89Wk1CkQLiyJNzdLZJxeyjg4kkzfLmDuZsfs7qWUOWYBCKUnTzC7VPmVkTSQyMhkoZGjwRfNiELbZ40TTu/s1600/basement+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglN9hOKGBndQ92slxrGiwjNfFcs8TyWq4HRD7Y91O-SOdp8YKjbgSbaFoG5TqI9psf8twVCcRQYF_AwPdXQ10sitzz-IdBgG9nIm23UIjatsWe1NtofE9veAKBszzncUH3RHzwK156z897/s1600/basement+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglN9hOKGBndQ92slxrGiwjNfFcs8TyWq4HRD7Y91O-SOdp8YKjbgSbaFoG5TqI9psf8twVCcRQYF_AwPdXQ10sitzz-IdBgG9nIm23UIjatsWe1NtofE9veAKBszzncUH3RHzwK156z897/s640/basement+9.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And this is just all the stuff from the upstairs office, styled as minimally as possible, because who wants to add a bunch of trinkets to a room that Tootie spends 3/4 of her day in.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Not this cat mama.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSe9gDKquT30KW-V1weIyV2Hs0GTr7jMbbXF6Uj6LqswTIspshIreHXzY_mB5pt1c-S_gk_5_nyqGBvRLbgSkXuVPuxq2EwSbgbMu2W0lSBiKlh_x_BW45zPd5Asp9ddH7lRPxxTMkJ_3/s1600/basement+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSe9gDKquT30KW-V1weIyV2Hs0GTr7jMbbXF6Uj6LqswTIspshIreHXzY_mB5pt1c-S_gk_5_nyqGBvRLbgSkXuVPuxq2EwSbgbMu2W0lSBiKlh_x_BW45zPd5Asp9ddH7lRPxxTMkJ_3/s640/basement+10.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And now let's move on to one of my favorite parts of the basement: the bathroom. I'll preface by saying that it probably won't blow your mind. My photography is pretty bad and it's a pretty minimally styled space. But, it makes me so happy to have this little bathroom finished and nice and new, and so, just do me a favor and pretend like I pulled off the best bathroom makeover of all time.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's the before. So gross. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nothing worked. Everything smelled.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOAae8GAcFoDD6KGiJ9PKbMrG7mmpDwrIqvx6ST7BQbtLNbdPevQrhMrP5Dxby9RsvZHriLiOccr5y9FjDerKdu2dGkHb7kJoaWH5aMUdzHIGMV6SbhJa5Jj8dQwjQ5J7ynThY_VnU2jK/s1600/basement+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOAae8GAcFoDD6KGiJ9PKbMrG7mmpDwrIqvx6ST7BQbtLNbdPevQrhMrP5Dxby9RsvZHriLiOccr5y9FjDerKdu2dGkHb7kJoaWH5aMUdzHIGMV6SbhJa5Jj8dQwjQ5J7ynThY_VnU2jK/s640/basement+6.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And here's the after. So clean. So new. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Makes me wanna waddle all the way downstairs just to take a shower.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The vanity is from <a href="http://www.lowes.com/pd_492894-444-C21130D-SS_1z0xzql__?productId=50041108&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1">Lowe's</a> (the only one I could find that looked good and didn't make me go broke), and the shower curtain is from <a href="http://www.target.com/p/threshold-color-block-shower-curtain-black-white/-/A-14246317?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=google_pla_df&LNM=14246317&CPNG=Bath&kpid=14246317&LID=23pgs&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=14246317&kpid=14246317&gclid=Cj0KEQjwmqyqBRC7zKnO_f6iodcBEiQA9T996H_KpcNgBe7poQItILOBzadWz9VlOrzh9IRWe6zauCYaAtSs8P8HAQ">Target</a>. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7lUOsdcQ_k_oyjs9CWz6PwNslDAUhFYZffy-56wBsgaSlAwJJaCjYgRxD86Lyfg3snOYxnyliZ3rApmnPDM1iBfyl7wD6KQ42-xZLKuxCVMj9jDDUnBIFtuMrw-C44HfOifr4wkqUe_g/s1600/bathroom+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7lUOsdcQ_k_oyjs9CWz6PwNslDAUhFYZffy-56wBsgaSlAwJJaCjYgRxD86Lyfg3snOYxnyliZ3rApmnPDM1iBfyl7wD6KQ42-xZLKuxCVMj9jDDUnBIFtuMrw-C44HfOifr4wkqUe_g/s640/bathroom+ideas.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The light fixture is from </span><a href="http://www.lampsplus.com/products/possini-euro-onida-23-and-one-quarter-inch-wide-crystal-glass-bath-light__3v953.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lamps Plus</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> (my absolute favorite...I love the little crystal globes.). And the mirror is a thrift store find that I painted silver.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTyGMMfB3SnizW09X2B3Zw227XDvVqXbowAic6HuTOe-UgJzxt0GHRQiQOQ_sKlXuuhdCJL-DFQQs0roka1LykzIawdFicCPqwLuJZ1R0tN_juTlkdmCsXQrly1wA6XoJO46i3eSOxqzK/s1600/vanity+bathroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTyGMMfB3SnizW09X2B3Zw227XDvVqXbowAic6HuTOe-UgJzxt0GHRQiQOQ_sKlXuuhdCJL-DFQQs0roka1LykzIawdFicCPqwLuJZ1R0tN_juTlkdmCsXQrly1wA6XoJO46i3eSOxqzK/s640/vanity+bathroom.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And then the last little area of the basement...the hallway. It's not really all that exciting, but I think it's a great example of what a big difference paint can make.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is the 'before' view, looking towards the guest bedroom and bathroom.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiip_WLmfkSOoVcJTUZOUzsoK6dN6NsFUiJKiwzia5o_eXMD6N9O7UceaW4iDe9gZdIELyMiHEKDfeHkBil_nF-l8UBFk6N-w8KIQ7o_ls6gL763W0Vykt1aNhTJdCfrZir7k4PZEqCZ4w2/s1600/basement+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiip_WLmfkSOoVcJTUZOUzsoK6dN6NsFUiJKiwzia5o_eXMD6N9O7UceaW4iDe9gZdIELyMiHEKDfeHkBil_nF-l8UBFk6N-w8KIQ7o_ls6gL763W0Vykt1aNhTJdCfrZir7k4PZEqCZ4w2/s640/basement+5.jpg" width="570" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And here's the after. All we did was paint the panelled walls with Simply White, replace the doors, and paint the trim and doors Ultra Pure White. And then we replaced the light fixture with this modern chrome sconce from <a href="http://www.lampsplus.com/products/possini-euro-design-tuning-fork-14-inch-high-chrome-wall-sconce__v0916.html">Lamps Plus</a>.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUgstTK1SIR88V_IvvqfKgwJ1cZQ206efA5JVDdLQSs183mBrTA2s8fQ3Eq-ZRD26fsf6sdIylVd05qumH94UvKASvV5rJXuCY14FuLa96_4LkklJfRnwAoco7Li6ZKfo1niFfNnu7-4k/s1600/hallway+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUgstTK1SIR88V_IvvqfKgwJ1cZQ206efA5JVDdLQSs183mBrTA2s8fQ3Eq-ZRD26fsf6sdIylVd05qumH94UvKASvV5rJXuCY14FuLa96_4LkklJfRnwAoco7Li6ZKfo1niFfNnu7-4k/s640/hallway+1.jpg" width="428" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's the 'before' view looking the opposite way, towards the door that leads to the garage. (That's how the tile looked before it was grouted.)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqOjt1XdNUvw1XT5_4y5jkuzBEYByeW72qFXewD-Ew-PB_b7dxO-Jx_MsRyNkANz1i3MRLZBu8BO833EMQvAFCQZc9_FP81xXAH7WDtDarzQu-_cd-BisUuGJZTszLoWe9MSA1v7HANiP/s1600/hallway.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqOjt1XdNUvw1XT5_4y5jkuzBEYByeW72qFXewD-Ew-PB_b7dxO-Jx_MsRyNkANz1i3MRLZBu8BO833EMQvAFCQZc9_FP81xXAH7WDtDarzQu-_cd-BisUuGJZTszLoWe9MSA1v7HANiP/s640/hallway.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And here's how the hallway looks today. For now, we just painted the door to the garage, because Tootie enjoys her cat door, and frankly, we ran out of steam to replace another door (exterior doors aren't cheap, ya'll).</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But still, how much better is that hallway?!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1CU85VYH65_W3ZyDpf1QK_43cpwDildnQxjz34sJRG5rCdi5UPrmQXOGn8ilQAUogUdT6XC2_ZfmT3cw5vlnrI9MXKoopC4xWpc_Ysmmx7Ok96dgJ-nknOaFyC6gch0PzKwvOchW_QLqh/s1600/hallway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1CU85VYH65_W3ZyDpf1QK_43cpwDildnQxjz34sJRG5rCdi5UPrmQXOGn8ilQAUogUdT6XC2_ZfmT3cw5vlnrI9MXKoopC4xWpc_Ysmmx7Ok96dgJ-nknOaFyC6gch0PzKwvOchW_QLqh/s640/hallway.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And that's the entire basement makeover in one big, long, brutally honest post. Thanks so much for being here, ya'll. And thank you for allowing me to just be a real person about all of it. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'll be back soon to share some really fun stuff about the <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/05/our-new-white-washed-hardwood-flooring.html">upstairs</a>, but first I'm going to take a little time to hang out with Mathias who is home from the Navy for a couple of weeks. It's the first time I've seen him since I've been pregnant...and I'm slowly adjusting to errrrrbody grabbing my belly the minute they see me. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I'll be 33 weeks on Sunday...still truckin' along! :)</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VlhZ0CwOCeu01PAuu9FxAEU1cOu-pgPcTauSSjvhZazQEAuqXfGzm-jDcRH8jwXC_znN8cnXJstUDp-hASJ27pCwOdj-3luNFuDwcg6SfD44hYeJUI1oj7fbfzfJmkJT_Q-zQtniBRRM/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VlhZ0CwOCeu01PAuu9FxAEU1cOu-pgPcTauSSjvhZazQEAuqXfGzm-jDcRH8jwXC_znN8cnXJstUDp-hASJ27pCwOdj-3luNFuDwcg6SfD44hYeJUI1oj7fbfzfJmkJT_Q-zQtniBRRM/s640/1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">'Til next time!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<img height="100px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xAR6Q_kagl31bX6LBAAVCCdRqJewGCpd1FmAYsFx1iyVnVPZnrA-I3_CMtXmWV-PwkoNMMCTVhL2fvmeD7giY4Yy0cNdBrUWB3LCD0RjK7RVZ7ytK1bPBjBqlD48Bnk_TCDC7Vk" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="222px;" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /><a data-pin-color="red" data-pin-config="above" data-pin-do="buttonPin" data-pin-height="28" href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.livelovediy.com%2F2015%2F05%2Four-1970s-house-makeover-basement.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-63eOvSWPoIA%2FVUuhGLr7ckI%2FAAAAAAAAZr0%2Fdt5bJ9K8yvU%2Fs1600%2FHOUSE%2BRENOVATION%2BIDEAS%2BTIPS.jpg&description=Our%201970s%20House%20Makeover%3A%20The%20Basement%20Makeover%20Before%20and%20Afters!%20This%20is%20GREAT!"><img src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pinit_fg_en_rect_red_28.png" /></a>
<!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page -->
<script async="" defer="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"></script></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5w04WwoiozcZkm6ZAKDrR060IRlfIS0_Fju_-G5GJaAScVRclCRzps2fG1aRUgRpH6Ri2xAN8EO2dgKOY7Ph50NVPQMMMEZ6S7whLFjuI607YVYdMfHTwpqAkG2NbXUWrhvAA8mCNHA_/s1600/HOUSE+RENOVATION+IDEAS+TIPS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Our 1970s House Makeover: The Basement Makeover Before and Afters!" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5w04WwoiozcZkm6ZAKDrR060IRlfIS0_Fju_-G5GJaAScVRclCRzps2fG1aRUgRpH6Ri2xAN8EO2dgKOY7Ph50NVPQMMMEZ6S7whLFjuI607YVYdMfHTwpqAkG2NbXUWrhvAA8mCNHA_/s1600/HOUSE+RENOVATION+IDEAS+TIPS.jpg" title="Our 1970s House Makeover: The Basement Makeover Before and Afters!" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a data-pin-color="red" data-pin-config="above" data-pin-do="buttonPin" data-pin-height="28" href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.livelovediy.com%2F2015%2F05%2Four-1970s-house-makeover-basement.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-D11XxR96Z0I%2FVUzrp4nMewI%2FAAAAAAAAZtM%2FdD8a-FQM5jE%2Fs640%2Fbudget%2Bdecorating%2Bideas.jpg&description=Our%201970s%20House%20Makeover%3A%20The%20Basement%20Makeover%20Before%20and%20Afters!%20Its%20finally%20finished!"><img src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pinit_fg_en_rect_red_28.png" /></a>
<!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page -->
<script async="" defer="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknxrCd9yJ4au2f9149LsG8Rkf0UhzdhJiD6wUef-Lwe9k23WE1-zj-n4PafaJ4GEoY6pIg7WDO7tSXbKmLHksGiZGjGQRnazHtzNplqKnTE5gGagyjIfiYoZkQl3Hw55qgJ4K9iCh6TCI/s1600/budget+decorating+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknxrCd9yJ4au2f9149LsG8Rkf0UhzdhJiD6wUef-Lwe9k23WE1-zj-n4PafaJ4GEoY6pIg7WDO7tSXbKmLHksGiZGjGQRnazHtzNplqKnTE5gGagyjIfiYoZkQl3Hw55qgJ4K9iCh6TCI/s640/budget+decorating+ideas.jpg" title="Our 1970s House Makeover: The Basement Makeover Before and Afters! So many good ideas for updating old homes!" width="438" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div>
<!-- Bloglovin Subscribe -->
<br />
<center>
</center>
<center>
</center>
<center>
Follow my blog with<br /> <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3384224/?claim=jkea24f9wt7"><img align="middle" alt="bloglovin' photo BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii634/livelovediy/BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" width="30%" /> </a></center>
<!-- Social Media and Email Subscribe -->
<br />
<center>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.image-maps.com/m/private/7229/5712-LiveLoveDIYSOCIAL_zps2f8f6f4a.jpg" height="45" id="Image-Maps-Com-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" usemap="#image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" width="300" />
<map id="ImageMapsCom-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" name="image-maps-2014-02-16-213014">
<area alt="pinterest" coords="43,0,84,43" href="http://www.pinterest.com/livelovediy/" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Pinterest"></area>
<area alt="facebook" coords="88,1,127,42" href="https://www.facebook.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Facebook"></area>
<area alt="instagram" coords="132,1,173,42" href="http://instagram.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Instagram"></area>
<area alt="twitter" coords="177,0,219,41" href="https://twitter.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Twitter"></area>
<area alt="Image Map" coords="298,43,300,45" href="http://www.image-maps.com/index.php?aff=mapped_users_7229" shape="rect" title="Image Map"></area>
</map>
<form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=livelovediy/PtTE', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 0px solid #ccc; padding: 0px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email!</span></b><br />
Enter your email address:<br />
<input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br />
<input name="uri" type="hidden" value="livelovediy/PtTE" /><input name="loc" type="hidden" value="en_US" /><input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form>
</center>
<!-- NTENT ADS -->
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
var era_rc = {
Styles: '{"thumbnail":{"iw":140,"ww":600,"pa":20,"nr":2,"nc":3},"background":{"color":"transparent"}}',
Scripts: 'thumbnail',
ERADomain: 'as.vs4homeandgarden.com',
PubID: 'livelovediy',
Layout: 'thumbnail',
MaxRelatedItems: '6',
BlockID: 'w600r2i140',
SearchWidgetPosition: '2',
SearchBoxCaption: 'Find More ...',
HeaderText: 'You Might Also Like'
};
(function(){var v='ERA_AD_BLOCK';var i=1;while(document.getElementById(v)){if(i==25)break;v='ERA_AD_BLOCK'+i++;}document.write("<"+"div id='"+v+"'><"+"/div>");
var sch=(location.protocol=='https:'?'https':'http');var host=sch=='http'?'as.ntent.com':'secure.ntent.com';var s=document.createElement('script');var src=sch+"://"+host+"/ERALinks/era_rl.aspx?elid="+v;for(var p in era_rc)
{if(era_rc.hasOwnProperty(p)){src+=decodeURIComponent('%26')+p.toLowerCase()+"="+encodeURIComponent(era_rc[p]);}};s.src=src;document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(s);})();
</script>
<!-- END NTENT ADS -->LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com53tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-15700974787407030962015-04-20T15:01:00.000-04:002015-04-20T15:26:18.327-04:00Life Updates From The Camera Roll<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWU0CMOWubYuvHuCm3TAfXk68Iu9CUNgFRmzTrvqfg4YM6Mrci0f2zht_iizvZCVfWAdX8Y77mdR18bzgOZuSb2Mq5urMnwvKTDWaQyJnQE68PVC8fecucWkY5-RU-daM_19efBVZ9Hzgc/s1600/IMG_4942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWU0CMOWubYuvHuCm3TAfXk68Iu9CUNgFRmzTrvqfg4YM6Mrci0f2zht_iizvZCVfWAdX8Y77mdR18bzgOZuSb2Mq5urMnwvKTDWaQyJnQE68PVC8fecucWkY5-RU-daM_19efBVZ9Hzgc/s1600/IMG_4942.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, I've got some major renovation stuff to share with you guys (that I think you'll be pretty excited about). I'm currently in the photo-taking phase of putting the post together, so the time is near!! In the meantime, I thought I would share some random camera roll tidbits with you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I think I take about 10+ pictures a day with my iphone, and the majority of them never see the light of day unless they end up on <a href="https://instagram.com/livelovediy/">Instagram</a>. So, I'll regurgitate a few of those here for you non-Instagrammers, and then share a few other random ones I found today. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">First and foremost, thank you guys so much for all of your sweet words after my last <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/04/pregnancy-updates.html">post</a>. I've been feeling quite a bit better since two weeks ago and have actually been able to get out of the house a little bit here and there. I'm still taking it pretty easy, but it's nice to be able to stretch my legs on occasion. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>They've pretty much atrophied at this point. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jesse was taking me out to lunch this past Friday and we randomly saw a billboard for the Biltmore and he said 'Wanna go to the Biltmore instead?'. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzd6A9aPb4q5JZ_9A9Wx43RrnHyDpVwAkNhz5Ga5gDsgkOAMc6-XXrTDwED6tnzwnR5acduQmYI9J7WK5popNwkOawl1kVKOfkxV4-y548kzjHTzjBdY8pl69I2hPF-i0aBIhAFqmmPYUU/s1600/biltmore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzd6A9aPb4q5JZ_9A9Wx43RrnHyDpVwAkNhz5Ga5gDsgkOAMc6-XXrTDwED6tnzwnR5acduQmYI9J7WK5popNwkOawl1kVKOfkxV4-y548kzjHTzjBdY8pl69I2hPF-i0aBIhAFqmmPYUU/s1600/biltmore.jpg" height="640" width="448" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I realize that my ability to be spontaneous is about to decrease 100%, and I was feeling really great that day, so we went. It's about 2 hours away from Knoxville, and it had been almost a decade since our last visit. It was a beautiful, rainy, overcast sorta day, and the entire trip was just a soul-recharge. We only toured about a third of the house, mostly the servant's quarters (the most interesting part, if you ask me), and then I completely ran out of energy and we drove back home. But between touring 1/3 of the house and walking around the grounds outside, it was pretty much an all day excursion. If you've never been and live in the Southeast, do it, do it, do it. It's truly like nothing else you will ever see...kinda like a real life Downton Abbey. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Also, funny story, I took a bunch of pictures inside the house with my iphone and couldn't wait to show you how crazy this place is. Turns out that is NOT allowed, although no one tried to stop me, and I didn't figure it out until we left and I read the brochure. So, it's probably best I don't share those on my blog. #butIwanna</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let's see...I also went thrifting for the first time in months. There's a little place called Becky and Garret's Treasures and it's like part thrift, part antique store. It's one of my favorite places to go. I brought home this giant silver planter/pot thing...one of my favorite finds ever. I have no idea what I'll end up using it for or where it will go, but it WILL find a spot somewhere in my home. This is my solemn vow.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglC0qWDPwoRyVfIeLNsIi40bmahzctMeLuLFJsit1HP2m4ctIcrYKPFza7vR3M3MFLCYehFbuwbjSRZmioT2MJFgrO5hoPrGqt3JtCvid-vqUudIAC5q8FKg3hWqn7FY3TCT-Lg8V3tfd6/s1600/silver+planter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglC0qWDPwoRyVfIeLNsIi40bmahzctMeLuLFJsit1HP2m4ctIcrYKPFza7vR3M3MFLCYehFbuwbjSRZmioT2MJFgrO5hoPrGqt3JtCvid-vqUudIAC5q8FKg3hWqn7FY3TCT-Lg8V3tfd6/s1600/silver+planter.jpg" height="640" width="456" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also found this mirror and drooled over it for a good 10 minutes before I had to walk away. I don't need it and it was too far out of my price range to justify hoarding another mirror. But, I knew you would appreciate it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyyACJKwtorH0Rxp5HUv0KaIBZRN7rFjzt_pUQ2Qc8hTt6RCNcIQ4qhkWSw0UNBlveaCZTmRtonDbSR39hpHyopEnDu26hibPn13eg7KUmrgrA2tRPc0ViuYs-ClU09lIMqQ0qc2-9sle4/s1600/gold+mirror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyyACJKwtorH0Rxp5HUv0KaIBZRN7rFjzt_pUQ2Qc8hTt6RCNcIQ4qhkWSw0UNBlveaCZTmRtonDbSR39hpHyopEnDu26hibPn13eg7KUmrgrA2tRPc0ViuYs-ClU09lIMqQ0qc2-9sle4/s1600/gold+mirror.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So many goodies at that place.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> It's probably best I only make it there bi-annually.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've also been thinking about the nursery and assembling some goodies I have around the house. I have a few items that are currently inspiring me, namely the hot pink <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/05/thrifty-shopping-tips-tricks-how-to.html">rug</a> I found for $60. Here's a pic of it when I laid it out in the office one day...just to give you an idea of what it looks like. I have yet to find a way to use this rug, but have been holding on to it in the hopes that I will eventually find the perfect place for it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And ya'll, perhaps my day has come. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhO5yMegDYcxUkc3bGaCvQx0OBHxcN7HOk9xltiG6IlldMcnRzBLuuwYyQyoAIcht2tBZZA_u5339YGw9J7yp01uB44vYmAP9pVoJriaRRQWhWs4jr9bPkCLaE-uNwBlCurkqPPmKURWr/s1600/pink+rug.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhO5yMegDYcxUkc3bGaCvQx0OBHxcN7HOk9xltiG6IlldMcnRzBLuuwYyQyoAIcht2tBZZA_u5339YGw9J7yp01uB44vYmAP9pVoJriaRRQWhWs4jr9bPkCLaE-uNwBlCurkqPPmKURWr/s1600/pink+rug.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In other news...I've been napping a lot. It's become a bit of a routine...me and Tootie being daytime sloths. I figure I might as well soak up all the sleep I can get.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOkUhokSeFOJlKtDA3gDvk1EQ8Ct0REE9-TWzeacgNQqERFHP_IjHwHFN9OV6wrIvxpxMce-QaQyX2YoPIzDNee-PSlplzdldtchwbZsnr4KU_GuFT5tXJGlzYEQrw5auECUBpIkk_BFY/s1600/cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOkUhokSeFOJlKtDA3gDvk1EQ8Ct0REE9-TWzeacgNQqERFHP_IjHwHFN9OV6wrIvxpxMce-QaQyX2YoPIzDNee-PSlplzdldtchwbZsnr4KU_GuFT5tXJGlzYEQrw5auECUBpIkk_BFY/s1600/cat.jpg" height="640" width="464" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've been holding off on buying any baby items so far because my house is in total disarray and I'm living in the basement right now (this will all make sense eventually, I promise), but I finally broke down and bought my first onesie. It kinda opened the floodgates because now I just wanna buy all the things. I'm not going to though because I'm determined to be thrifty and purposeful. Plus, when it comes to clothing, little girlfriend is sure to have her fair share of sassy new outfits, but I'm certainly not above filling in the gaps with some pre-loved items, too.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The struggle is real though.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_d-p2V_w_bSkvCt_5ehiHN4WJ7xK7IQ5OxEN_xDGo-l6edpieIHBh5MHKXuquqiZJGMjWVr8AfTX3r2cpNLfo-bcYcd3gGUm9I65hBtMqq2sAQGxeKUB3kYdaMiVphwFw36zlFjpH3rQG/s1600/cat+onesie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_d-p2V_w_bSkvCt_5ehiHN4WJ7xK7IQ5OxEN_xDGo-l6edpieIHBh5MHKXuquqiZJGMjWVr8AfTX3r2cpNLfo-bcYcd3gGUm9I65hBtMqq2sAQGxeKUB3kYdaMiVphwFw36zlFjpH3rQG/s1600/cat+onesie.jpg" height="640" width="462" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some other random finds from this week....I found this picture from nearly 8 years ago when we lived in our little condo (note the linoleum floors and oak cabinetry...at the time, that condo felt like pure luxury.) I had not entered into my DIY phase yet (since the condo was a rental), but I had just started to paint. This was the first painting I ever did. The shading is totally off (although I still don't really know how to do it any better...brain does not compute where to shade things), but nonetheless, not bad for my first attempt and it makes me want to try painting some flowers again.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioiNNeQBRlE7CMtkiAaySaeNrrZ_ldeULwCFbGELTsu5875sujNzMhXrW-ibfZ7O_6zVkx-mtTZ_zQvoubNFbv3FBP021f8_aYu0WtLzoSvTO6eMQA8Ac72-EAL0OB40TF_tlIgjz6XV13/s1600/floral+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioiNNeQBRlE7CMtkiAaySaeNrrZ_ldeULwCFbGELTsu5875sujNzMhXrW-ibfZ7O_6zVkx-mtTZ_zQvoubNFbv3FBP021f8_aYu0WtLzoSvTO6eMQA8Ac72-EAL0OB40TF_tlIgjz6XV13/s1600/floral+art.jpg" height="640" width="484" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And this is my favorite find of the week (not actually from my camera roll, but from an old box of pictures I found while cleaning out my closet). That's my brother, Mathias, in a tree in our yard in Colorado, circa 1996-ish. He was probably 4 and I was probably 14, and it's the perfect example of why I dreaded babysitting him. Because he did stuff like this when you weren't looking.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0JrdCM7RR9Gz-WJDMeYt36t8OYJJhpbxU8I0OoJfnpwtb6CCEDt23WzsKDpyJs2brEQx4Hht2lSVPbkMhyphenhyphenfSecXzaICzxj5NrW_wLDzwu0CUaMCUDxRLRPeEUNzHAT_LbEu_CADijNTl/s1600/IMG_4721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0JrdCM7RR9Gz-WJDMeYt36t8OYJJhpbxU8I0OoJfnpwtb6CCEDt23WzsKDpyJs2brEQx4Hht2lSVPbkMhyphenhyphenfSecXzaICzxj5NrW_wLDzwu0CUaMCUDxRLRPeEUNzHAT_LbEu_CADijNTl/s1600/IMG_4721.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mathias is one of my very favorite people on this earth, and pictures of him as a kid always crack me up because he was absolutely rotten as a toddler. Or at least my teenage self thought so. :)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">That's all for today, ya'll!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 33.1199989318848px; white-space: pre-wrap;">'Til next time!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 33.1199989318848px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img height="100px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xAR6Q_kagl31bX6LBAAVCCdRqJewGCpd1FmAYsFx1iyVnVPZnrA-I3_CMtXmWV-PwkoNMMCTVhL2fvmeD7giY4Yy0cNdBrUWB3LCD0RjK7RVZ7ytK1bPBjBqlD48Bnk_TCDC7Vk" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="222px;" /></span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div>
<!-- Bloglovin Subscribe -->
<br />
<center>
</center>
<center>
</center>
<center>
Follow my blog with<br /> <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3384224/?claim=jkea24f9wt7"><img align="middle" alt="bloglovin' photo BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii634/livelovediy/BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" width="30%" /> </a></center>
<!-- Social Media and Email Subscribe -->
<br />
<center>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.image-maps.com/m/private/7229/5712-LiveLoveDIYSOCIAL_zps2f8f6f4a.jpg" height="45" id="Image-Maps-Com-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" usemap="#image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" width="300" />
<map id="ImageMapsCom-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" name="image-maps-2014-02-16-213014">
<area alt="pinterest" coords="43,0,84,43" href="http://www.pinterest.com/livelovediy/" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Pinterest"></area>
<area alt="facebook" coords="88,1,127,42" href="https://www.facebook.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Facebook"></area>
<area alt="instagram" coords="132,1,173,42" href="http://instagram.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Instagram"></area>
<area alt="twitter" coords="177,0,219,41" href="https://twitter.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Twitter"></area>
<area alt="Image Map" coords="298,43,300,45" href="http://www.image-maps.com/index.php?aff=mapped_users_7229" shape="rect" title="Image Map"></area>
</map>
<form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=livelovediy/PtTE', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 0px solid #ccc; padding: 0px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email!</span></b><br />
Enter your email address:<br />
<input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br />
<input name="uri" type="hidden" value="livelovediy/PtTE" /><input name="loc" type="hidden" value="en_US" /><input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form>
</center>
<!-- NTENT ADS -->
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
var era_rc = {
Styles: '{"thumbnail":{"iw":140,"ww":600,"pa":20,"nr":2,"nc":3},"background":{"color":"transparent"}}',
Scripts: 'thumbnail',
ERADomain: 'as.vs4homeandgarden.com',
PubID: 'livelovediy',
Layout: 'thumbnail',
MaxRelatedItems: '6',
BlockID: 'w600r2i140',
SearchWidgetPosition: '2',
SearchBoxCaption: 'Find More ...',
HeaderText: 'You Might Also Like'
};
(function(){var v='ERA_AD_BLOCK';var i=1;while(document.getElementById(v)){if(i==25)break;v='ERA_AD_BLOCK'+i++;}document.write("<"+"div id='"+v+"'><"+"/div>");
var sch=(location.protocol=='https:'?'https':'http');var host=sch=='http'?'as.ntent.com':'secure.ntent.com';var s=document.createElement('script');var src=sch+"://"+host+"/ERALinks/era_rl.aspx?elid="+v;for(var p in era_rc)
{if(era_rc.hasOwnProperty(p)){src+=decodeURIComponent('%26')+p.toLowerCase()+"="+encodeURIComponent(era_rc[p]);}};s.src=src;document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(s);})();
</script>
<!-- END NTENT ADS -->LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468383212336747161.post-43681864300213963242015-04-08T11:38:00.002-04:002015-04-08T13:56:44.498-04:00Pregnancy Updates <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJVvPlkBvAr_IDsONqRRK2edBM31cF0HFHRCyYJZCvHbojPN8Ijowu3tz0pVG3VAtWPxIlYjyh6cZgB3tQA0OqHXyLm8xkWiQtxAq4NpE1LMlPW11xtdoyQL1d0NkkTRg5M4VAzPDcebP/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJVvPlkBvAr_IDsONqRRK2edBM31cF0HFHRCyYJZCvHbojPN8Ijowu3tz0pVG3VAtWPxIlYjyh6cZgB3tQA0OqHXyLm8xkWiQtxAq4NpE1LMlPW11xtdoyQL1d0NkkTRg5M4VAzPDcebP/s1600/3.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hey ya'll! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thank you for all of your comments and emails making sure I was okay. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've had a hectic few weeks and have been wanting to update you on things, but really just needed some time for things to calm down first.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As many of you know, this hasn't been an easy <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2015/02/some-exciting-news.html">pregnancy</a> for me. I had horrible all day morning sickness for the first 15 weeks. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And it didn't stop there.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For the past three months (since about week 17), I've been fighting off preterm labor and I haven't been able to do much other than lay on my couch. Weekly doctor visits, nonstop tests, and multiple trips to the hospital...it's been the hardest few months of my life. But, I've tried to stay positive, not complain too much, and not get too sad about all the stuff I can't do.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There have been a few weeks where I've just cried and cried and basically been a blob of tears, and then there are weeks where I do okay and am able to handle whatever is thrown at me. It varies widely.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> So hug Jesse if you see him.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The good news is that baby is healthy and so am I. My cervix, although stable so far, is extremely short and a constant concern for my doctor</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> (I never thought the day would come when I would have to utter the word 'cervix' on my blog. You're welcome.). This causes me to experience A LOT of Braxton Hicks contractions, and to feel like I can't be on my feet for longer than 10-20 minutes. But, nonetheless, we are marching on, baby and I, and we are determined to make it as far as we can.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am currently 29 weeks, and with each passing day, I celebrate another victory. I can't even begin to tell you how far away 29 weeks seemed when this all started happening around week 17. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, none of this is ideal, and it's definitely not the pregnancy I had envisioned...the one complete with baby showers and maternity photos and assembling a beautiful nursery (you know, all of the superficial yet fun stuff everyone looks forward to). It's been more of a 7 month long panic attack filled with barf and tears. But this is life, and sometimes life has a way of giving us what we need rather than what we want. So, as I always try to do when having a hard time, I've been thinking a lot about what this experience is trying to teach me. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And in this instance, I know that life was telling me not to take a single thing for granted. And so when I look around, rather than seeing all of the things that have gone wrong, I see how much my love for Jesse has grown with each passing day (as he takes every burden he can off my shoulders and continues to show me unconditional love despite my moodiness and week long stints of wearing the same maxi dress), and most of all, I see how absolutely thankful I am to be continuing on with a healthy pregnancy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Who can complain, really.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, that's what's been going on.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> My sincerest apologies for being a little sporadic with the blog posts these days. We finally finished the majority of our <a href="http://www.livelovediy.com/2014/10/the-basement-renovation-part-one.html">basement</a> last weekend (Well, Jesse did.) and have actually been living down there, as we decided upon some last minute renovations to the upstairs before the baby comes. And yes, I'm a crazy person. I hope to be able to share all of this with you guys over the course of the next month or two, but I won't make any promises, as things are a little hectic and hard to predict. Plus, I just move a little slower than usual right now.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thank you guys so much for being here and for your patience with me as I get through the next little while. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tootie and I will basically be doing <i>this </i>until the end of June:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLgTTXpTaQ-z1KJQSc-h2GbtvyNPyAK6DZJ93irvNoWiSqGoqV_GQqgTddhimO0MAvUen-gJfRAV7Mp-zdKQcvsydtqZaukhuzhfrXHqD3JushmdjL2cMkhcSae-weBZrA1KFXE7WyV1m/s1600/TOOT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLgTTXpTaQ-z1KJQSc-h2GbtvyNPyAK6DZJ93irvNoWiSqGoqV_GQqgTddhimO0MAvUen-gJfRAV7Mp-zdKQcvsydtqZaukhuzhfrXHqD3JushmdjL2cMkhcSae-weBZrA1KFXE7WyV1m/s1600/TOOT.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 33.1199989318848px; white-space: pre-wrap;">'Til next time!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 33.1199989318848px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img height="100px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xAR6Q_kagl31bX6LBAAVCCdRqJewGCpd1FmAYsFx1iyVnVPZnrA-I3_CMtXmWV-PwkoNMMCTVhL2fvmeD7giY4Yy0cNdBrUWB3LCD0RjK7RVZ7ytK1bPBjBqlD48Bnk_TCDC7Vk" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="222px;" /></span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div>
<!-- Bloglovin Subscribe -->
<br />
<center>
</center>
<center>
</center>
<center>
Follow my blog with<br /> <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3384224/?claim=jkea24f9wt7"><img align="middle" alt="bloglovin' photo BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii634/livelovediy/BlogLovin_zps5407d9e3.jpg" width="30%" /> </a></center>
<!-- Social Media and Email Subscribe -->
<br />
<center>
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.image-maps.com/m/private/7229/5712-LiveLoveDIYSOCIAL_zps2f8f6f4a.jpg" height="45" id="Image-Maps-Com-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" usemap="#image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" width="300" />
<map id="ImageMapsCom-image-maps-2014-02-16-213014" name="image-maps-2014-02-16-213014">
<area alt="pinterest" coords="43,0,84,43" href="http://www.pinterest.com/livelovediy/" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Pinterest"></area>
<area alt="facebook" coords="88,1,127,42" href="https://www.facebook.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Facebook"></area>
<area alt="instagram" coords="132,1,173,42" href="http://instagram.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Instagram"></area>
<area alt="twitter" coords="177,0,219,41" href="https://twitter.com/livelovediy" id="socialmap" shape="rect" target="_self" title="Twitter"></area>
<area alt="Image Map" coords="298,43,300,45" href="http://www.image-maps.com/index.php?aff=mapped_users_7229" shape="rect" title="Image Map"></area>
</map>
<form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=livelovediy/PtTE', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 0px solid #ccc; padding: 0px; text-align: center;" target="popupwindow">
<b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Subscribe to LiveLoveDIY with email!</span></b><br />
Enter your email address:<br />
<input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br />
<input name="uri" type="hidden" value="livelovediy/PtTE" /><input name="loc" type="hidden" value="en_US" /><input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form>
</center>
<!-- NTENT ADS -->
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
var era_rc = {
Styles: '{"thumbnail":{"iw":140,"ww":600,"pa":20,"nr":2,"nc":3},"background":{"color":"transparent"}}',
Scripts: 'thumbnail',
ERADomain: 'as.vs4homeandgarden.com',
PubID: 'livelovediy',
Layout: 'thumbnail',
MaxRelatedItems: '6',
BlockID: 'w600r2i140',
SearchWidgetPosition: '2',
SearchBoxCaption: 'Find More ...',
HeaderText: 'You Might Also Like'
};
(function(){var v='ERA_AD_BLOCK';var i=1;while(document.getElementById(v)){if(i==25)break;v='ERA_AD_BLOCK'+i++;}document.write("<"+"div id='"+v+"'><"+"/div>");
var sch=(location.protocol=='https:'?'https':'http');var host=sch=='http'?'as.ntent.com':'secure.ntent.com';var s=document.createElement('script');var src=sch+"://"+host+"/ERALinks/era_rl.aspx?elid="+v;for(var p in era_rc)
{if(era_rc.hasOwnProperty(p)){src+=decodeURIComponent('%26')+p.toLowerCase()+"="+encodeURIComponent(era_rc[p]);}};s.src=src;document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(s);})();
</script>
<!-- END NTENT ADS -->LiveLoveDIYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02224434977869141538noreply@blogger.com49