House Stuff (and stuff)

***Disclaimer:  when I spend large amounts of time away from people (aka: summer), my humor apparently distorts and I do weird things like tell you about my conversation with my front door.  You've been warned.  Carry on.***

How's that for a descriptive title?  I bet it makes you all excited.  Will this be about her patio?  Ooooo, what about her new-to-her piano?  Or even Daniel's mower saga?????  The possibilities are endless!!!!

Well, friends, this is about littlish changes I have made since the old house tour of May 2013.  But, before you read on, if you are a female and you live in or near Topeka, please take a moment to read this.   I trust you did that.  Let's move on.

So I've been waiting to show you a few things until some spaces are perfect.  But, let's be honest, no space is ever perfect or done, so let's just call these pics progress.  

You may or may not remember this vignette from the May house tour.  The lamp was disturbingly awkward....recall?  So a series of events occurred (the details would probably bore you to tears).  Let's just say that my mom bought me this lamp.  Fun, huh?  And I'm in the process of trying to regrow some sweet potato vines (mom, I noticed today that some roots are formed.....what do I do next?). 

 Still a happy corner.  I've never been crazy about red in my home, but since this dresser was my very first project (5 years ago? 6 years ago?), I can't bear to think about repainting it (shocker, I know).

Side note:  if you follow me on Instagram, you know that we bought a piano from our Alma Mater for a steal.  Upon it's arrival home, Daniel asked me if I was going to paint it.  After gasping in horror for 10ish minutes, I flailed around and hollered "No!"  He was legitimately surprised.....I suppose after you paint every surface in your house [(including kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, office built-ins, Craigslist furniture, and every wall (some more than once)], you build a name for yourself.  Note to self. I digress. 

 Love me some burlap. 

 SIL Tammy found the idea somewhere on the interwebz to put a few small things in a small foyer.  So we did!  Daniel thinks they're silly, but he thinks 75% of my never-ending-always-looking-for-something decor tweaks are silly.  The chevron-esque basket functions as a holding point for things that need to go upstairs.  And the price tag is still on my TJ Maxx clearance faux plant.  Super. 

 OMG.  Almost forgot to mention my stripes!  Holy knees-throbbing-back-aching stripes.  Totes worth it, but picture me saying "oh my woooooooord" 500 times during the process.  Yes.  Five hours of taping (an old house = walls that aren't square, so the use of a level is pointless). 

 And my yellow front door!  Every time I come downstairs, it says, "Well hellooooooooooooo Heidi!  I'm feeling mighty fine today!!!"  And I respond, "Hello old door.  You only took half a morning to paint, so I approve of your emotions."  And Daniel says, "She may be cray, but I love her anyway."

 Just for kicks, here is a close-up of the stripes.  I read a few tutorials first and then made up my own tutorial.  My own tutorial is a-comin!

 But for now I'm just going to relish in the happiness that is our foyer.......and then I'll start thinking about painting above the chair rail.  I believe I'll be enlisting help for that one.

 I updated this cute little lamp that I've had for a decade and bought at a thrift shop.  A different lamp shade can really liven up a sad little lamp.  Oh look, there's my piano!  With a mass of accessories atop.  Someday I'll address that.  

A project that has been brewing for quite some time is window treatments in our family room.  For my birthday, yes, 3 months ago, I asked for fabric.  Long story short, this fabric came from a teeny-tiny fabric store 5 miles south of Canada in a little town in Washington.  Ah, the interwebz. 

 I'm not 100% thrilled with the way they turned out (I get all perfectionistic when I make things like this), but I'm just living with them for now.

 I really wish they had more depth to them, so I'm thinking about making some faux ties in a deep gray color or attaching a border to draw the eye up.

 We shall see.  In the meantime, here is a close-up of the fabric.  It's sort of blue-grayish with deep yellow flowers. 

 Oh yes, and my MIL bought a new ottoman for her house, so we took her old one off her hands.  And, of course, I painted it.  Was not thrilled with how it turned out, but my SIL suggested that I go over the white with a glaze (when we got it, it was black) to add some depth. 

 Lest you think my house is always this picked up, allow me to turn 180 degrees.  What can I say?  We do a lot of living here. :) 

Also, with school starting in less than a month (picture me sobbing uncontrollably like a small child), our house projects will certainly start to dwindle.  Oh the beauty of summer.  It's fun while it lasts.

Next up - stripe tutorial!!