Monday, August 31, 2015

Looking Back at Summer

Despite months of unexpected house repairs we had a nice summer.  We made the most of it by celebrating holidays and special occasions with family and friends.

Celebrating the 4th of July is the best part about summer.

My husband's best friend and his family visited from Philadelphia.  We skipped the fireworks this year, but had a great time creating lasting memories.

Later that month, my cousin and her family came to visit.  The first thing I did was kiss her baby girl's cheeks!

I forgot what it was like to care for a busy toddler.  At the end of the day I was ready for a nap! LOL!!

Our friends Kenny and Lachelle took a road trip this summer to visit family.  Before they headed back home we got to spend the day with them.  I'm always the one with the camera snapping pictures!!

Lastly, my husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary.

It's hard to believe it's been this long.  We've lived a lot of life together and I'm enormously thankful for him.

He's such a good father and puts up with my crazy shenanigans.  This picture sums up his personality.  He's super silly and doesn't take things too seriously!

So how was your summer?  Anything new to share?


Saturday, August 1, 2015

My Neutral Dining Room

It only took me a few years, but I think I finally captured the dream I had for my dining room!
  
I went through phases of ideas that ranged from honey-mustard colored walls to glossy wooden chairs and an unsightly light fixture.  Having a chandelier hanging at an odd length made decorating a hassle and the lighting was awkward. I wanted something close to the ceiling and subdued, so I opted for something subtle.

Having a less extravagant light fixture opened the room up more and allowed me to introduce beautiful lamps to further lighten the room.

*Light fixture can be found here.  I purchased it off the shelf at Home Depot.  It was originally brushed nickel.  I spray painted it with Rust-Oleum's Champagne Mist.

To be finished with my changes now makes me ecstatic (and relieved) that I didn't settle for what I had before. 

 I always had an idea of what I wanted for my dining room.  Since the living room connects seamlessly, I wanted furniture and accents to flow and complement each other without clashing.  


The thought of keeping things neutral with pops of texture and detail stood out to me.  Simplifying colors and adding natural components could actually work!

 By neutral, I didn't mean all white.  I wanted creams, light browns, and wooden textures to be the base of my dining room and living room.
  
Immediately, I took out the eyesore of a dinner table that was ready for a replacement.  In its place is a sophisticated yet rustic table that reminds me of a picnic table.
  


Its raw design made it easy for me find chairs that didn't necessarily match.  I went with metal chairs from Overstock and wooden chairs from Ross Stores on each end to switch things up.  Having different chairs adds a relaxed touch and more seating for when you anticipate having more than just your family over for dinner.

The walls that used to be a warm, rich yellow soon became tired and I wanted something to ground the entire room. So, I painted the walls Revere Pewter.  The new color accentuates every furniture piece nicely.  


Paired with patterned curtains in the same color scheme, I could now begin working on upgrading my wall art and other pieces.

Wooden textures really came into play to open up the room with style.

Rustic word sign can be found here.


I introduced more plants to liven up the room. Adding greenery brought positive energy and excitement to the space, which it desperately needed.

Having real plants and flowers that I could tend to throughout the week made the room more inviting and open. 

Though it took me a while to get my dining room and living room together, I am more than pleased with what I have now. 

Who knows how long I will have this layout before I think of something else, but I know once that time comes, I can easily switch out components and work from there.



I am linking this post to:
Thrifty Decor Chick