Shades of gray

Remember a couple weeks ago when I talked about our office overhaul? Well, I've finally gotten around to slapping that gray paint sample on the wall!

But first, I put a bunch of samples up and picked my favorites. All colors by Behr.

I liked Natural Gray the best (third from the top), so I got a sample of it. This room doesn't get great natural light, at least not in the winter, so I apologize for the poor lighting -- it really was sunny out!

What do you think? I'm a little worried it's too dark (so is the hubs). It's darker than anything we've picked for the house so far, so maybe we're just a little nervous about going outside our comfort zone.

Here are a couple other colors we're considering. The left swatch is Natural Gray. We're thinking the little one on the right is a little too blue, while the one on the bottom is a little too beige. 

Sooo...not sure if we've picked anything yet. I think we'll give the Natural Gray a couple days and see if we warm up to it. I feel like I've pulled every gray swatch Behr has, which makes me really want to like this color. Why can't they all come as easy as the kitchen color? As soon as we saw it, we knew it was "the one." Sadly, it's not always that easy...

Enjoy your weekend, everyone! I'll be working still on this entryway revamp. We're getting close...I'm getting excited! I bet you're just dying with anticipation. Am I right?? :)

Wedding in a box

Happy hump day, all! I can't believe it's Wednesday already. With Monday off, I feel like this week is going by fast. Of course, by Friday the day will probably drag...why is that when you have a short work week, it always ends up feeling longer than a regular week? Weird...

Anyways, I used Monday to catch up on some things (laundry), run errands and tackle a couple projects, one of which gave me some trouble, so I'll have to hold off sharing that with you. I also had grand plans that included spray paint, but nature did not cooperate. It was snowing on Monday, and the spray paint can says to use in at least 50-degree weather. Hmm...I think I may be able to tackle that project in like, oh, May. *IdoloveMaine IdoloveMaine.* Spend only one winter here, and you'll soon realize it's necessary to chant this every once in a while in order to make it to spring. :)

I did get something done I'd been wanting to do for a while, and that was putting together a little tribute to our wedding day. Yeah, we've been married for like nine months, but I'm just getting around to this! (Still have a wedding scrapbook to work on too....someday.)

I bought this shadowbox from Joann's. I can't remember how much I paid, but I believe it was $14 regular price, and it was on sale -- plus I had a coupon, so I think it was around $10? I tried to find my receipt, but couldn't -- sorry! 

Next became the arduous process of picking what wedding mementos to include in the box. It was tough (gah, so many choices!), but I finally ended up with this.

Details in the photos might look a little weird since I edited out our last names

I included a copy of our wedding invitation and a photo of the mountain where we got married. The photo was actually used for the table card at our sweetheart table; the name of the mountain was very fitting...

...A copy of our save-the-date postcard...

...The label we (with the help of my father-in-law) made for the strawberry wine we made as gifts for our parents and bridal party...

...And the roses from my hubs' boutonniere and my bouquet. I wrapped them in the satin ribbon from my bouquet and added the pins from the bout and the bouquet. It kind of looks like a little men's shirt sleeve cuff -- isn't it cute?

The shadowbox found a home on our Target folding bookshelf that we moved from the living room to the bedroom. Voila!

(Sorry for the bad light. I took too long arranging these shelves and lost daylight! Blast...)

To coordinate with the colors in the shadowbox, I used other items in black, white and green. The shelf also features a couple other wedding-related items, like these cake topper birds and a sampler my mother-in-law made for my bridal shower. She recreated the motif from our invitation! I can't imagine how long it took her. Isn't she talented? That piece of birch is also a leftover from the table-name holders we my husband made for the wedding.

On the shelf below are the templates from our letterpress invitations. (I know these probably have a more professional printing name, but I cannot for the life of me think of it! I hope my father-in-law isn't reading...). My father-in-law runs his own printing business and made all our wedding stationery, then gave us the templates as souvenirs. The text is backwards, so the words are imprinted the right way. Aren't they cool?

(Please ignore that dirty white tray. I put something on it and it will. not. come. clean. Grr.)

The ceramic white vases are the I HEART U vases I bought for Valentine's Day from the Target dollar spot, just turned around! Although their message would go well with the romance theme I've got goin' on. They need a little somethin-somethin' in them, don't you think? Maybe when something outside actually blooms, I can snag a few stems and pop those in. So, like, June. :)

(The owl doesn't really scream love and romance, except that I love owls. A lot.)

The bookshelf is right across from our bed, so it's one of the first things we see when we wake up. It's a nice way to keep souvenirs from our day close and reflect on the happy times. I'm planning to make one for our honeymoon too, so we can dream about white sand beaches and a tropical vacation. And for maybe $10 or so, it's a cheap way to make some personal art.

What do you think? Are the dried roses a little too dead-looking and morbid to include? The hubs said no, but I think generally he just says whatever it will take for me to stop second-guessing a project and shut up about it. :)

How do you like to preserve and display important mementos?

P.S. See Sherry at Young House Love's wedding shadowbox here!

P.P.S. Want to see someone who mastered shelf arranging better than me? Visit Erin at Domestic Adventure and her fantastic floating shelves here!

HomeGoods happy

I swung by HomeGoods the other day after work just to poke around -- a little retail therapy after a busy and stressful week. And though I did more browsing than buying, it still boosted my mood! Maybe sharing a few of my finds will boost yours too.

How pretty is this vase? It made me think of the ocean.

I'm really into aqua and turquoise lately, I don't know why. But I loved these ceramic dishes (and the brown ribbon!).

I thought of our office redo as soon as I saw these fabric baskets. The turquoise lining with the damask on the outside totally fits into my vision! I might have to go back for these.

HomeGoods never disappoints with its selection of baskets, and I've got a serious thing for baskets. This one with the graphic gray-green liner made me smile.

So did these bamboo boxes. I'm totally going to try DIYing one with some stuff I have on hand.

I'm really starting to appreciate their lamp selection as well, and their prices can't be beat, even by my first love, Target. I thought this one, with its dark gray shade, would look fab in our new office.

And this one, with its chocolate shade and its light aqua-glass base, would look great on my new console table in the living room.

I'm loving the happy green ones too! Wouldn't they be great in our bedroom?

More turquoise!

I thought this coral-colored kelp (?) print would complement the theme in our office, but in a different frame, maybe white.

Other great nautical finds for our office. I think I could DIY both of these! What do you think?

I loved the hue and the Moroccan feel of this ceramic piece.

And if this garden stool had been a little cheaper (and a little less shiny), I may have snatched it up. (So adorable -- a little boy in the aisle with his dad kept insisting it was a kid-sized table).

It took a lot of restraint to keep from buying this fun green-and-white pot. Love the parrot!

Oh, and while at HomeGoods, I also found the biggest potholes I've ever seen. They almost swallowed up the traffic cone pathetically attempting to warn people of the harm about to befall their tires. I didn't take a picture of the potholes because I was too busy climbing out of them.

So, what did I buy? A few baskets, including this lined one I plan to keep in the bathroom closet and use for laundry. 

I also got some other accessories for our entryway project. Sadly, some of the things I purchased aren't going to work (I'm bad at using a tape measure, apparently!), so they'll have to go back. Still working on that entryway -- I hope to share the results very soon! I meant to wrap it up a lot sooner, but we've had some family stuff come up in the last couple of weeks that's taken precedence. Thanks for your patience!

Taking inspiration from TV and movies

Happy weekend, all! It's a three-day weekend for me...wooo! I took Monday off to tackle some home projects. I can't wait!

I keep seeing all the bloggers out there talking about spring and making me jealous with pictures of their flowers in bloom. Not so here in Maine. Although it topped 60 degrees here yesterday, today it is snowing. Sigh. It's like January all over again. Not cool, Mother Nature!

What better way to spend a snowy Saturday than sitting in your PJs and watching sitcom reruns and comfort movies -- especially ones that feature envy-inducing design? If I had to watch one TV show for the rest of my life, it would be Friends. I've seen every episode a zillion times, but I never get sick of it.

I've always loved Monica's apartment, with its purple walls, big windows and open cabinets. It feels eclectic and homey at the same time.

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I want one of those vintage posters!

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And I love the frame around the peephole.

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And if I ever found an orange couch like this one in Central Perk, I would buy it. Seriously.

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If I had to pick two TV shows to watch for the rest of my life, the second would be Sex and the City. And if I ever visited New York City, I'd want to stay at Carrie's apartment. Carrie was rocking gray walls long before it was in.

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Love the bookshelves and the framed art on the entry table.

Here's Carrie's bedroom redesigned for the second movie. I am loving the blue walls and the frame gallery -- it's almost like a headboard. And that rug? To die for!

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I've recently started catching reruns of the New Adventures of Old Christine, which is generally entertaining. What I really love are the pillows. If anyone knows where I can find these, let me know -- I want them!

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The rest of the house is pretty cute too. It's got a mismatched, beachy vibe. I love the print above the fireplace.

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Here's a better shot of it. Anyone know what it is?

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And look at that lamp!

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What are your favorite shows or movies for design inspiration?

Enjoy your weekend, everyone! I hope it's not snowing where you are...

The not-fun side of being a grown-up

I generally enjoy being a grown-up -- staying up late, eating chocolate whenever I want, watching R-rated movies (yes, because I do these things ALL THE TIME. Ha.).

Oh, and as a grown-up you can make money. Which seems like a plus, and mostly it is. But what’s NOT fun is having to budget your money. When I worked as a grocery store cashier in high school, I'd cash my paycheck and then blow it all at the outlet stores the same day. Ah, I miss those days...

Anyhoo, back to budgeting. I’d say the hubs and I are fairly responsible when it comes to money. We’ve definitely gotten a lot better at it over the past couple of years as we’ve had to make some major purchases (the wedding/honeymoon, and then the house). There’s nothing like saving for a down payment to make you realize how much money you spend on pizza and beer (or shoes and wine, if you’re like me). It was kind of depressing to make our house budget and realize that, though I’d been working as a full-time grown-up for four years, I didn’t have much to show for it except a full closet. Yikes.

We did a lot of scrimping and saving before we bought our house (living with my parents helped us out a lot in that endeavor), and in the past four months have spent a good chunk of change on house-related items -- a washer and dryer, a snowblower, paint, curtains, etc. We stuck to our budget pretty well, but realized that little things -- like picture frames, tools and hardware, etc. -- can really add up. And with a few a bunch of major purchases still on our wish list, we decided to sit down and do some long-term money planning. It made for a wild Sunday afternoon, let me tell you!

Fueled by an entire box of a few Girl Scout cookies, we hashed out our spending for the next year. Lucky for me, my husband is a Quicken fiend and an Excel genius, so it was easy to chart how much money we’d have in the bank each month, how much we’d be spending on our regular expenses, and how much we’d have left over for savings and major purchases. 

Balancing a checkbook -- how quaint!

Since money is one of the biggest things couples fight about, we try to be as transparent as we can. We always set the budget together. While the hubs handles a lot of the actual bill-paying, I do more of the day-to-day spending, like groceries and toiletries. And to avoid nit-picking each other over every little purchase, we each have $200 a month in “fun money” in our own accounts that we can spend however we choose. We’ve been doing it like this for a few months, and so far it’s working out well for us.

We have a couple rules we stick to when it comes to budgeting. We paid off our credit cards before buying the house and are going to keep it that way, so no house purchases go on the cards. If we don’t have the cash for a new couch, we won’t buy it. We also keep at least two months of expenses in the bank, in case something unexpected happens -- one of us loses a job or gets hurt or sick. And we have some funds in our budget to handle unforeseen house expenses, like fixing a broken furnace.

And, we’re realistic in our budget with how much we actually spend. While we’d love to spend just $200 a month on groceries, we don’t, and rather than set a low budget and blow it every month, we budget for what we realistically think we’ll spend.

That doesn’t mean we don’t try to be as frugal as we can. We’re always looking for ways to spend less on the necessities by using coupons, buying stuff in bulk or on sale, and most importantly eating leftovers instead of letting them go to waste. If we spend less than we budgeted that month on groceries, then we have a little extra money we can ferret away for a rainy day. We do the same for things like eating out and entertainment, and give ourselves a generous budget for doing fun things because we know we will. Doing it this way means that we know we can afford something even when we’re living exactly as we want to, eating out included. But if we decide we want to save money for a big purchase, we can forgo eating out one month and save that money instead.

So, once we had our budget set for the next year, we made a list of all the big things we thought we needed or wanted to buy in the next year:
 

• Lawnmower 
• New paver walkway and plants/landscaping 
• Outdoor lighting
• Office makeover -- desk, bookcase, paint, curtains, lighting 
• Living room set -- couches, coffee table, end tables
• Art and headboard for the master bedroom 
• Bedding, curtains and paint for the guest bedroom 
• Two chairs and a coffee table for the “lounge” -- the room adjacent to the kitchen 
• New car 
• Motorcycle

Sadly, the next thing we need to buy is a lawnmower. I say sadly not because I hate spring, but because it’s no fun to spend money on a piece of machinery that will only make you bust your butt. Confession: I have never mowed a lawn. In my life. I’m pretty sure that streak is coming to an end...

And as I mentioned earlier this week, an office makeover is desperately needed. I also want to spruce up our guest bedroom with a fresh coat of paint and some new curtains and bedding. And with spring coming up, we also knew we wanted to spend some money on our yard. As I mentioned in my 2011 home goals, we want a new walkway, some landscaping and outdoor lighting.

Sometime in the next year, we also need some new living room furniture to replace our hand-me-down couches and coffee table. Both couches are fold-outs, which is nice for extra guests, but after a few years, these couches have started to sag like nobody’s business. They have no springs except the flimsy mesh that holds the mattress, which means that there’s nothing holding up the middle of the couch. One is now stuffed with an old egg crate, the other with some blankets and pillows. We even put a piece of wood underneath one to prop up the inner workings and keep the cushions from sinking. Yes, it’s bad. (P.S. I would never buy a fold-out couch again, at least not one that I wanted to sit on every day.) 

Check out that awesome egg crate. Yes, this is actually what our couch looks like underneath the L.L.Bean couch cover.

What’s that on the end of the list? Does that say motorcycle? Why, yes it does. My husband had a motorcycle a couple years ago, then sold it. I foolishly promised him that once we got married and bought the house, he could get another motorcycle. Well, that time is now, but we had to see if we could afford it first. Plus, I need a new car. Let’s just say my current ride doesn’t like to start when it’s too wet, or too hot, or too cold, and you roll the window down at your own risk.

Anyways, it was time to prioritize our purchases. We picked out the things we really needed (the lawnmower), the things we needed (new couches and a working office), and the things we didn’t need as much but wanted most (a presentable guest room). We did a little online research to figure out how much we’d spend on these items and plugged these purchases into our spreadsheet in the approximate months we thought we’d be buying them, with the lawnmower and the office expenses coming in first. We also have planned a little getaway for our first anniversary that we put high on the list -- you only have a first anniversary once, right?

We're going here! Do you recognize it?

I won’t bore you with all the details, but we soon realized that we couldn’t have it all (duh), and we’d have to choose between the motorcycle and a new walkway. Both we wanted to buy in the spring, which also came around the time of our anniversary trip, and it was just too much to spend in the span of a couple months. We could have sprung for the new walkway later in the summer or fall, but then we’d have to delay the couch purchase, and we really need those more (I mean, did you see that plaid wonder??). A new walkway is nice, but not necessary. 

And while a motorcycle isn’t a necessity, sometimes you just have to live a little. It has some practical benefits -- the hubs can drive it to work in nice weather instead of his SUV, saving some gas money. And I have to admit, I love being on the back of a bike. I never thought I’d be that girl, but I had a blast riding around on his old bike. Plus, I already have the super-sweet jacket and helmet I need to put to good use.

While in Aruba for our honeymoon, we did a Harley tour of the island. This is a rented helmet -- mine is way cooler. 

So we won’t have the pretty walkway this summer. That’s okay. Instead, we’ll have Saturday motorcycle rides out to the beach, winding along the beautiful Maine coastline and stopping for lobster rolls and ice cream. Sometimes, it’s about spending money on things you can do and experiences you can share than things to fill your house.

Plus, I earned some “wife points” that I can cash in later with something I really want. I’m thinking diamonds...

What about you? Done any budgeting lately? Got any tips to share on prioritizing spending or saving money? Let’s hear ‘em!

Checkbook photo from here.

Chateau Frontenac photo from here. 

Office overhaul

Hello there! Hope y'all had a good weekend (yes, I said y'all, and I'm from Maine. Deal with it.). We had our first overnight guests this weekend, our niece and nephew, who are eight and 12, and we had a blast. We ate mac and cheese with hot dogs in it, did some coloring, played some video games and laughed while watching Megamind. The kids didn't want to leave the next morning, so I'd say we did a-okay!

Since we bought our house about four months ago, we've tackled a good deal of painting projects and gotten a few rooms feeling like home -- the living room, the bedroom, the kitchen, the hallway. And while we're still working on fully furnishing/accessorizing these rooms, deciding what we really need and making do with what we have until we figure it out, we've realized there's one room that really needs our attention: the office.

And no, not just because it's pink -- although the hubs really hates the pink, which to be fair is actually a fairly pleasing shade. It's because we don't have a desk, or appropriate office storage, or anything really conducive to being productive. While I mostly use my laptop, the hubs is frequently using the desktop to pay bills, do online research, plan out his next batch of beer (as I mentioned before, he home brews), etc. And this tiny surface, with no drawers or storage, just ain't cutting it.

(That fabric underneath was my attempt to hide the ugly mess of cables. It hasn't held up to my husband, though -- the glue has already started to come undone. Sigh.)

A two-drawer file cabinet holds the printer, but that file cabinet is chock full. 

And though cleaning it out and organizing it would make some more room, it's become apparent we need some more file storage for all our important papers. This tiny file cabinet is also ugly. We stupidly used packing tape to hold the drawers closed when we moved, and now the tape won't come off without taking the fake wood veneer off with it. Awesome.

Here's another look at this hot mess. And actually, this is pretty good, because most of the time there's a pile of paper three inches deep over the entire thing.

Our shelves that hold the office supplies are so embarrassing-looking that they've been relegated to the closet. This arrangement gets no points for attractiveness or usefulness. Eek.

So, we started shopping around for a desk -- nothing too expensive, but with enough surface and storage space to get some serious work done. We first checked out Ikea, but soon discovered that anything we liked wasn't available at the closest store to us -- that closest store being three hours hours away, no less.

Our search finally gave us this, from a Staples store only 10 miles away. Score!

Two built-in file cabinets would keep us organized, and a keyboard tray leaves more flat space to spread out the bills. Double score! I also liked the black, and thought some new knobs would jazz it up. 

But we didn't pull the trigger yet, because we the hubs realized it would be much easier to paint the room before putting together a giant desk. Uh, duh.

Almost before we moved in, I knew what I wanted our office to look like. Something a little modern and masculine, with clean lines and lots of high-contrast black and white art. And I knew I wanted lots of storage and shelving to help keep us organized, but that would also hold some personal and pretty items to keep us inspired.

Early inspiration for this room came from these posters, which I first saw in an Apartment Therapy home tour and then spotted in Michelle from Three Men and a Lady's bathroom. I loved their slight cheekiness and the way their nautical theme tied in with the other coastal elements in our home. Plus, they also relate to my husband's job. I dropped some not-so-subtle hints to the hubs and got two of my own prints for my birthday, from this Etsy seller. I also got the letter L. (If I had I, I could spell I L U, like I Love You. Awww...)

So, with those posters and a chunky black desk in mind, I started thinking about the rest of the room and scoured the Web for some inspiration photos.

I love these shelves and the patterned curtains.

Decorpad

I love this easy-to-reach, massive corkboard.

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And I really want shelves above the desk or on the wall to the left of it to keep office supplies within reach, but off the desk.

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Real Simple

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I love the gray with the orange! Keeps it from being sterile.

Living Etc.

The styling of this bookcase makes me swoon.

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And here's the mood board I made. I'm a novice at this, so please excuse. :)

I'm loving this gray paint for the walls -- Natural Gray by Behr.

I'd like to switch out our current ceiling fan for the CB2 Eden pendant, and this metallic table lamp from Target would add a little shine. The open bookshelf from Target is a little modern, and would look great with some fun turquoise accessories. To go along with my code flag art, I'd love to have a rope mirror, and I want to attempt to make one using Nate Berkus' directions. 

The graphic Waverly fabric would make great curtains, and the coral reef fabric ties in with the turquoise accents and the nautical theme. And I'd love to have an ottoman in a damask print, like the fabric I used to hide the computer cords, to add a little feminine touch. There's a lot of gray, black and white going on, so I want to make sure to add color with office accessories, like turquoise and yellow file folders or baskets.

What do you all (I resisted the y'all!) think? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

I'm planning to get going on this project later this week, starting with the paint (again, duh!). I've already bought a sample of Natural Gray to slap on the wall and see how it looks -- love those little $3 samples. I'll show you how it looks later this week!

Annnnd...still working on that entryway. Here's a little peek at what's goin' on.

Happy Monday!