In our new Utah Ranch Style Home we have a lot of rock. A LOT. Over 50% of the exterior is this same rock, the actual name is Idaho Travertine. Looks a lot like a lava rock. We did not want to just tear it out (even though we could have). We LIKE the character and texture the rock adds to the home. We decided we wanted to try to modernize it. Fill in the deep grout with mortar and make it more flush. In my head that was all we were going to do. But, 20 hours later and 8 bags of mortar, we ended up with something different and we really like it! First let's look at our current rock wall, ... Read More
Living Room Affordable Refresh and Floor Lamps
You know that saying , "If you give a mouse a cookie". That is exactly how this project got started! My sister was hosting a party at her home and asked for some help refreshing her front room. Having people over is great motivation to do projects that we put off for too long! (about 10 years in this case!) I remember when my friend hosted a bridal shower for a mutual friend and we jokingly called it that $10,000 shower! I was happy to help my sister, after shopping for new accessories I knew that we needed to take it a step further, by 9pm that night, her husband was putting up a board and ... Read More
Our Kids Bedrooms Design Boards
If you read my blog or follow me on social media, you know I love a design board. I can see it written on my headstone... "loved her family, sweet potato fries and design boards". I actually wasn't always good at them. I wanted to be. And just like anything in life, practice makes you better than before. I make design boards before I buy anything, they save me money and are also a good "brain dump" for me. It allows me to move onto other things once I get my ideas out. I put together bedroom design boards for Finn (our 4 year old), Lola (our 10 year old) and Ella (our 13 year old). The ... Read More
Urban Outfitter Home Favorites and Bedroom Ideas
You might be surprised that one of my favorite places to browse home decor online is Urban Outfitters! My girls have a really good quality dresser from Urban, and I have several accent pieces. I was looking for things for my girls new bedrooms and came across some great pieces I thought I would link up for you! I also put together a girls bedroom and boys bedroom plan. Favorites from Urban Outfitters Chelsi Rattan Chair- anything with cane on it, I love! Concrete Outdoor Dining Table- such a pretty table! Birdy Side Table- we have this, it is super cute for plants! Make sure it is ... Read More
Apartment Living- Five Ways to add Personality to your Apartment or Any Rental
We are living in an apartment and loving it. I think I am just really loving living back in Utah and being near my family and friends. Our apartment is great too, pleasantly surprised because we didn't seen it in person before we got the lease. The kids really like that there is a heated pool and a playground. As you can imagine, I can't help myself, I have to decorate it. Some might think it is a waste to put effort into a space that we will be in for such a short period (thinking around 4 months). But I say, why not? You really can do simple things, for not a lot of money, to make your ... Read More
Ideas for Family Room in our Utah Ranch and Things I bought on Serena & Lily Sale
I can't wait to work on our family room in our new home! So many ideas churning through my head. I decided to put it on a design board, helps me sleep at night 😉 I knew the exact lights I wanted to buy, and was just waiting for them to go on sale. Well, today is the day, they are on sale! Along with other things I already have waiting in storage. Below is the space I am talking about. I fell in love with these ceilings! I am trying to decide if we will leave the ceiling the wood stain or just leave the beams wood and the ceiling white. I know my walls will be white. And we are planning on ... Read More
Our 1970’s Ranch Home House Plans and Exterior Plans
We have turned our house plans to the City for our Ranch Style Home in Utah! Hopefully we can start working on the house in the next week or two. We got the sweetest note from someone who knew the previous home owners. The wife had passed away 40 years before the husband, and although he had the means to update the house he didn't want to change anything that his sweet wife had picked out. Loved that story, and we plan to honor the house, while making it the best way we can for our family. Our Architect is Wheeler Design Thought I would share our floor plans with you! You always have ... Read More
Outdoor Favorites from Target and Walmart
We are looking forward to getting the backyard in our new Utah Ranch Home ready for Spring! We enjoyed our Connecticut backyard so much, we know we will enjoy this space even more with lots of family around. I rounded up some favorite outdoor items from Target and Walmart. We have this patio area right off the kitchen and family room. We want to do an outdoor sitting area with a spot for a fire and of course a spot for the Traeger and Blackstone. This area will be for our pool! We are doing the same fiberglass pool we had in our Connecticut home. It was one of our absolute favorite ... Read More
Bedroom Makeover with Salmon Walls
We decided to giveaway one last makeover before we drive away from Connecticut. I took to Instagram and asked you to submit a bedroom you needed help making over, one requirement was you had to be local. We had over 200 submissions! We narrowed it down to 4 bedrooms and had you help us decide. We really wanted to do ALL of them!!! Unfortunately we are limited on time, we had to pick just one. The bedroom of a lovely single mom was our winner, she also has her small home office in the same space. Let's take a look at the bedroom before and after! Thank you to The Company Store for sponsoring ... Read More
Would We Buy it Again? Or Do It Again?
As we get ready to move away from our Connecticut home, it's fun to take a walk down memory lane. It's pretty crazy the changes and transformations that took place here. We've been getting lots of questions on if we regret anything, or "would we buy it again or do it again?" Let's find out! IKEA Kitchen Cabinets with Semihandmade Fronts The fun of a new kitchen space can quickly be sucked up by the fear of doing it wrong or regretting your choices. Do we regret our choice?! NO! We got the look of custom cabinets for more than HALF the price of actual custom made cabinets. Plus we ... Read More
