Cozy & Warm

Don't you just love the feel of fall...  the cool air, the rustling of leaves, the smell of a fire burning, snuggling under a cozy blanket.  Fall is definitely one of my favorite seasons.  As we are settling into the new house, (We actually made our first fire the other night!) I still think of the coziness we had created at Sheffield.  So when I saw Apartment Therapy's "Room for Color" was going on, I decided to enter our Cozy & Warm living room.

I really enjoyed this paint color by Behr - Ground Ginger.  When the light filled the room the warm yellow-y golden tones went really well with the orange accents.  In the early part of the day when the sun wasn't as bright you got more green undertones.  I love a paint color that changes with the light.  It makes the space that much more interesting!

I grounded the space with deep chocolate browns.  The kept things weighted but balanced.  A mixture of old and new pieces make the space feel "collected" vs. too matchy matchy.

If you would like to you can go and vote for my space on Apartment Therapy as one of your favorites.  Just click here and it takes you right to Katy's Cozy & Warm space.  FYI - you do have to "sign up" for an account but if you haven't ever checked our Apartment Therapy it's a great site with LOTS of fun inspirational spaces!!

Soon I will show you how these furnishings are looking in the new casa.  They make a space that's new to us feel like HOME that's for sure!

Plotting out the hallway

I haven’t figured out the best way to show y’all the new house yet…  do the whole before ~ progress shots??  A little as we go???  Decisions.  Decisions.  Well I can’t decide but I thought I might as well share with a little project I tried. 

In the past when I’ve hung artwork, I’m a “that looks good there” kind of girl.  I don’t spend a lot of time hemming and hawing – I either like or don’t.  It’s either too high or too low.  Too left or too right.  Just put a nail in the wall and call it done.  What can I say – the opposite of procrastination.  But I will say I look at some of these awesome “gallery walls” and think maybe all this planning and plotting makes sense. 

a great example of a mixed collection from Abode Love

Love this concept of playing off the horizontal line from Martha Stewart

How cool to have no space at all between each frame…  Lily Rose

So I attempted the plan…

    

I plotted out the size of the collage on the wall and a drop cloth.

Then placed all the pictures in the arrangement I liked.

Cut out paper for the size of each picture.

Measuring from the perimeter I placed the pieces of paper on the wall with thumbtacks where the actual nail would go.

And slowly but surely the walls were filled with photographs.

So…  the final question is… Was all that planning & plotting worth it?  For me… not so much.  I would have rather just started one and added on from there.  It’s a lot of steps.  I do like to plot out on the floor how things will layout but all that paper cutting and measuring just isn’t for me. 

At least one project done!  Only 124 left to go.

Change of Address...

With the recent move I knew I wanted to send out "Change of Address" cards.  Even though I know no one seems to use "snail" mail anymore there's something about getting a note in your mailbox.  And I want to make sure everyone knows how to find our mailbox!!  I can't miss out on Christmas cards this year, right!??!  So anyhoo... I was on the hunt for an inexpensive option.  Oh and of course cute.  

I went to my best friend a.k.a. Pinterest and started doing a little research.  I found this super cute link to a free printable.

Loved the image!  Also loved the colors but knew it would be more expensive to go with a color option and putting it in an envelope would also add to the cost (stamp and envelope).  So I decided to go the black/white post card route.  I used the image from the printable and put into a gray-scale image.  

Then for backside of the postcard I cropped the suitcases for a repetition of the theme, added our return address and a spot to fill out.

I made the document in Microsoft Publisher and sent it to OfficeMax to be printed.  They used a #110 paper in cream and then they cut into 4 postcards.  The total for the printing, cutting and paper was $4.42!!  Bargain!  Of course stamps added to my endeavor but totally worth it.

Yours should be in the mail - don't forget to update your address book so I get your uber cute Christmas card!!

So long Sheffield

This is what our world has consisted of for the last couple weeks. Packing up boxes. Moving the boxes. Unpacking said boxes. Lots of cardboard!! But with that cardboard comes the exciting news of a new home!! Yep that's right ~ we are no longer at Sheffield Drive. That sweet 1950's ranch is no longer ours. I think we've left her in good hands. The guy that bought our house really seemed to love her as much we did!!

Our new digs are pretty basically "move-in" ready. Of course there will be lots of additions to make it ours! I'll be sharing pictures soon!

Here's a little taste.

Finding {P}inspiration

With all this talk of houses – I’ve been busy scouring Pinterest for all kinds of fun ideas!  It’s super fun thinking of a new blank slate.  So with the stressful side of buying and selling a house, I’ve decided to focus on the fun – and the other stuff will or won’t work itself out!  Only time will tell – and in this between time – I choose to dream!

Here are some inspiration pic’s I’m really diggin! (click on picture for source)

Loving the black doors over at the Yellow Cape Cod

This wall color makes me drool – just a smidge

Fresh.  Clean. Interesting.  Yes please!

Sweet neutrals with a white brick fireplace

Ahhh…..

Contemporary Bedroom design by San Francisco Design-build Urrutia Design

 

Gor – ja – sa!   Yum!!

Oh how I ♥ Pinterest!

If you’d like to follow along with this pinning frenzy just click here!

The act of selling…

As you probably recall we are in the midst of selling our home.  We put the house on the market on May 9th and it’s been a whirlwind ever since.  We’ve had a good many showings – at least 2 per week.  Which I have been very happy with.  We also had one Open House on a Sunday – that didn’t get a lot of traffic – but you never know!

I know so many people complain about keeping the house show ready, but I have to say I have enjoyed the “pressure” of keeping the house clean.  It’s been nice to live in a super tidy house for over a month.  I *may* miss the little voice in my head saying “Go ahead and put that away – you’ve got to keep the house looking good!” 

I have been very adamant that when we do have a showing that the house is show ready.  This means coming home on my lunch break to turn on all the lamps and fluff and puff.  I even had a sweet friend come by the house on a last minute showing and get everything ready.  There’s only one chance for a first impression!!

I’ve also tried some non-conventional ways of getting the word out.  I actually contacted Julia @ Hooked on Houses, who occasionally features her reader’s homes that are for sale.  And guess what…  she totally featured us this past week!  Check it out…  HERE.

There are so many good blog posts out there for tips on selling your house.  I think these tips can really help get your house – Show Ready!

Michelle @ Ten June

Jamie @ the Creative Imperative

Kate @ Centsational Girl

So all that is to say… we’ve got an offer on the house!  We still have to get through appraisal and inspections – just trusting that if it’s God’s will for us to move, we will!

Of course the flip side of this exciting development is the next house.  We’ve also put a house under contract for us to move to, but I’m not quite ready to share all of that yet.  Trying not to count the chick’s before Mama’s ready – if you know what I mean.  So needless to say – the Leischners have a little bit on their plate right now being 4 1/2 months preggers and getting ready to completely turn things upside down!  Should be interesting!!

Can’t wait to take y’all on the journey with us!!

Baby Bump

Well the baby has started to show and that makes this whole pregnancy thing feel like the REAL DEAL!  I have to say, I enjoy having this bump! I think Joe enjoys it as well!!  He is always asking how “we’re doing” – so sweet!

So I haven’t been the best about taking pictures each week but I’m doing better and now that there’s actually a bump to document I hope I will do better!!

Just starting to see a bump…

And a little more…

And it’s official there’s a baby in there!!

We got to hear the heartbeat again earlier this week.  The babe was literally kicking the doppler!  We are super excited about having the ultrasound next week!!  But… we won’t be finding out the sex.  We are WAITING!  Some people are excited to hear that and others think we’re crazy! 

I do… in Seattle

This past weekend we made our way to the west coast to celebrate a very exciting occasion!  Joe’s brother David was getting married to wonderfully sweet Cortney.  The wedding was outside Walla Walla, WA at a beautiful vineyard at a’Maurice  Cellars.  The venue was gorgeous – you’re in the middle of wine country with rolling hills and mountains surrounding the grape vineyards. A perfect setting to begin a lifetime commitment!

We arrived Friday for the rehearsal which was followed by an amazing dinner at Whitehouse Crawford.

   

Saturday was a beautiful day – sunny – mild temps – blue skies for days.  The wedding was small and intimate. The groom and bride were gorgeous!    

The reception was so fun!  They had all kinds of games for everyone to play:  Life size “Jenga”, cornhole, hoola-hoops, games on each table, etc.  So fun!!

We are so glad that we were there to witness such a special event.  Joe and I both are so happy for David and Cortney and pray that their marriage will be blessed for a lifetime!!

To Market To Market...

We finally pulled the trigger and put the house on the market!!

After much consideration (aka: lots of projects), with the little one on the way and the market being more of a buyer's market, we are trying to get on the other side of the house market fence - the buyer's side.  If we are able to sell, we will be able to get in a neighborhood that we normally wouldn't be able to afford.  So putting the house on the market is a bit of an experiment.  If we sell, we'll know that it's meant to be AND if we don't - we trust in God's plan and know that it's not the time.

The sign has been in the yard for 2 weeks now and we've gotten some action.  I think we've had 5 different showings.  The feedback we've gotten so far is all pretty expected. {"Clients like it but concerned about one  bath" ~ "Cute house but a little small"} Our house is super cute (in my humble opinion) but it's got some challenges...  1 bathroom being the biggest one.  But it also has some features other homes in our price point don't have - {laundry room, mud room, renovated bath}.

We are asking $119k - can you believe that with interest rates where they are these days the house payment would only be $657.00!!  You cannot find a place to rent for the kind of $$ - some people have car payments that are close to that!  So who wouldn't want to buy a super cute house for so little!??!!?  (do you like the way I'm talking myself into this??)

You can check out the MLS listing here...  

Anyone need a super cute house close to center city Charlotte?!?!?

Today is Mother’s Day

My least favorite day of the year for many years now.  A day that should be about honoring my mother and the women in my life that have taken care of me and built me up.  But for the last couple years this day has been about mourning.  Mourning the fact that I wanted so badly to be a mother.  And now that the good Lord has blessed us with a little baby growing away, I am still sad.  I am sad for all those women out there that desperately want to hold their baby.  All the women that are in the midst of crying out “why not me?”  “When will it be my time?”  “Will it ever be my time?”  I was that woman for so long and I just don’t think I’m over that hurt yet. 

I know wonderful women in my life that continue to struggle with infertility and my heart breaks for them today.  I know that there are many women that will sit in a church service and see all the mothers being honored today.  (For what they deserve to be honored for!)  But nonetheless, they will sit there and their hearts are breaking.  It is an awful, awful feeling.  And I just want those women to know that there is someone out there that knows that hurt.  And I mourn with you.