Pumpkin Patch thru the Years

Pumpkin Patch 2015

This time of the year it's a given that you venture out to a pumpkin patch--especially if you have kiddos.  

We always have such a good time and this year was no exception...

pumpkin patch family foto

Yesterland has a growing Christmas tree farm.  I love this photo of JoJo walking through the tree farm with her pumpkins (she carried them all day).

Y'all, this slide was FAST--too fast.  I REFUSE to post the video of me actin' a fool.

almost as tall as the man

Snapped this shot while we were lost in the corn maze.

apple catapult

We were glad to have Na along for our annual pumpkin patch trip!

Related Post:  Pumpkin Patch Thru the Years

Home Tour | Living Room

Yesterday, I shared some updates to Joy's room.  Click HERE to check out the post.  Today, I'll take you on a tour of my living room.  

**Remember:  Blogland is filled with homes that look like something from a magazine.  Goodness!  Some of those pics are found in magazines--books even.  I enjoy making my house a home, but I'm no interior designer--though I aspired to be one early on in college.  That being said, I also took a few courses on the route to becoming a dental hygienist, too.  So...yeah...I'm no more an interior designer than I am a dental hygienist.  Decorating is fun for me. I break many of the "rules" and fake it a lot!  I'm learning to embrace my home--imperfections and all!

All of that to say, I'm trying to give you an honest glance around our home. Not every room in my house is "done", but frankly, it'll never be done.  It's constantly changing and evolving as my our needs/likes/wants change.  

Here's my living room:

In March, we completed a major and much needed home update.  Every single stitch of carpet and most of the tile was ripped up, tossed, and we added Pergo MAX throughout the entire house minus the bathrooms and laundry room.  We've been very happy with the flooring we chose.  We looked into hardwoods, hardwood-style ceramic tile, vinyl, but the best choice for our family was Pergo.  Pergo is really resilient and very hard to scratch or damage so that was one of the main reasons we went with it. 

When we added new flooring, the dark gray walls made our living room feel like a cave.

Below is a pic of the wall color before I repainted:

Valspar:  Wet Pavement

I loved the old color, but it really didn't work with the dark floors.  

Below is a pic of the lighter, brighter wall color:

Sherwin Williams: Tapestry Beige

Notice how the wall decor really pops with the lighter walls!?  I'm in love with it.  

I love to decorate with items that have a story.  That's why I love my wooden bowls.  Graham brought me the larger bowl back from one of his trips to Nicaragua and the little wooden bowl is made from a pecan tree that stood in front of Graham's grandparents' home.  

I love the mix of traditional, rustic, shabby, simple country, with  a touch of glam.  I guess that's my take on eclectic style.

I found this old window at Canton last year and it originally hung above the fireplace.  After repainting the walls, I moved it next to my piano and used it to display some of my favorite Instagram shots.

After some thought and your suggestions, I painted the tile on my fireplace....

Black!

Thanks for the input.  Click HERE to see the before pics.  

I am not finished with this project, but I am pressing "pause" until after the holidays.

I'd like to add ship lap above my fireplace and replace the woodwork with a natural wooden (more rustic) mantel.

Here is some of my inspiration:

I hope y'all are enjoying my little home tour--imperfections and all.  Like I've said over and over on my blog, I'm learning to love our home and embrace it.  Too often, we compare our homes to photos from Pinterest and design blogs of picture perfect spaces.  Fight the urge along with me and try to enjoy your home by adding your touch, your style, your likes, and your story.  

INFO wall color: Sherwin Williams Tapestry Beige wooden end table: Home Goods coffee table: junk that I refinished buffet lamps: Kirklands TV buffet: Annie Sloan chalk paint -Versailles antique "sofa table":  Waverly Chalk Paint - Oatmeal curtains: TJ MAXX flooring: Lowes - Pergo MAX Manor Hickory Handscraped pillow shams: IKEA
TO DO larger sofa table; update fireplace with new mantel, tile and shiplap
WANTS cowhide rug

Our Joy His Glory Home Tour | Index

Home Tour | Joy's Room

It's been a while since I've posted "around the house" pics so I finally got my camera out and snapped a few.  Some weeks ago, I mentioned that I've been working on sprucing up the house.  I've repainted the living room (pics to come), I've updated the fireplace (thanks for the tips!), I've rearranged, and on and on and on.  As Graham always points out, "this house will never be 'done'."  Ain't that the truth!?!  I find happiness in rearranging, decorating,  painting, and changing things up.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Recently, I rearranged Joy's room.  Here are the changes...

I moved her bed out from the wall because she hasn't had trouble transitioning to a twin bed.  She's never fallen out and I'm sick of that bed being smashed up against the wall.  

I. can't even.  I just adore this little piano.  It was a gift from my Gran when I was itty bitty and now it's my girls'.  Our home alarm is super sensitive and they've banged the heck out of this thing and triggered the alarm numerous times!  :) That's one solid toy!

Hand-embroidered pillow cases passed down from Mamaw--yes please!

I'll be back in a few days to give more updates from around the house, the fireplace update, some touches of fall, our trip to the pumpkin patch, and what I'm reading.  This ole' blogger is finally getting geared up so stay tuned!!

INFO wall color: Sherwin William's Compatible Cream bedding: *used* Pottery Barn wall monogram: Etsy shop most of the wall items came from antique/thrift stores rug: Target curtains: Pottery Barn and paisley fabric (Hobby Lobby)
TO DO replace twin bed with a queen-sized or full-sized bed
Our Joy His Glory Home Tour | Index

Fireplace Help!

Y'all, I need some fireplace help.  What to do, what to do?

Here is the current look...

A few months ago, after getting dark wood floors, I painted my living room walls to lighten up the space.  At the time, my fireplace was a rustic brown.  After a few months of thinking about it, I went ahead and painted the mantel white and left the tile brown.  

Here is my fireplace through the years:

Top right: the fireplace when we moved in--light wood, light tile.  Top left:  I popped off the ornate, scrolly piece, painted the wood, and stained wood and tile.  Bottom right: darkened the stain on wood and tile.  Bottom left:  currently

**Also, I'm not married to that dark wood piece hanging above the fireplace.  I like that piece, but it can hang somewhere else.  I've had it several places.

Here are some of the ideas I've found...

white with black tile

all black

all white

all white

I guess I'm torn about what to do with my red brick hearth, the tile, and the surrounding wood.  Do I paint the brick, paint the tile, paint the whole shebang???  Y'all help me!