Picking the Perfect Pendant

Just like all our home improvements, choosing an overhead light for our dinning room required thought and research. And of course, we had to save up our money!

For awhile, my heart was dead set on hanging a beautiful orb (like this one). But then we added mullions (criss crosses) to our dark blue French doors. Oh, we then we hung a very modern fan in our living room (check out the ever so sleek and efficient Big Ass Fan here). With these additions to our space, my vision began to change.

I now wanted a fixture that would blend well with our living spaces versus make a grand statement. And I wanted the light to still have rounded edges (like the orb), but with softer lines. 

Well, I found a gray double-layered pendent that's simply beautiful (thank you Crate & Barrel)! It looks sharp, both with the light on and off. Also, it doesn't have a chain, but rather a nice streamlined steel bar that harnesses the pendent to the ceiling. We also updated our ceiling medallion to a more contemporary look that compliments the crown molding. 

We were so happy to say good-bye to the brass chandelier and the old gaudy ceiling medallion that had been hanging around since we moved in May! What a difference, huh?

The old chandelier. 

 I love vintage pieces, but this light did not flow with the rest of our house. 

Obsessed with the light gray shade and dark gray pipping! 

 In the natural light, it looks simple and pretty. And notice the fan in the top right corner? I think the two fixtures work well together!

And at night, it gives a perfect warm glow.

The Jack & Jill Bathroom: A Completed Project.

The saying "life happens while you're busy making other plans" is spot on. It sums up exactly how I feel lately; life keeps going on and we keep planning on. 

Now moving on... 
to the end of our bathroom remodel! I've been so busy enjoying the fruits of our labor (hello spacious shower and deep soaking tub) that I've neglected to post a final entry showcasing all the finishing touches. My last post talked about tiling our shower (and let me remind you, that shower took two months to complete). Now, it's time for the finale! The big reveal! Here we go... 

This bathroom gets so much natural light (it does have 4 large windows!), so the color palette changes throughout the day. Sometimes the room looks white, then it goes creamy, and at twilight, everything appears more taupe. I love it. And you'll notice it in the pictures.

Originally, the planks in front of the bathtub were painted white. The trim work (on the penny tile wall) was also painted white. But the stark white looked very bold and boxy, so we softened the area by painting everything the same color as the walls (Steamed Milk by Sherwin Williams). 

The rug is Dash and Albert (purchased here), and the polypropylene material is perfect for a bathroom. Don't let the white stripes scare you away- it vacuums up easily. 

This dip-dyed stool conveniently holds wine glasses and reading materials. It's been tested and approved by yours truly. Found and purchased here at Serena and Lily.

For the love of linens, who would ever imagine that color matching towels to your bathroom decor could be so difficult? Originally, my plan was to buy simple white towels because they are clean and classic. But then my husband said, "White towels feel like a hotel. And we stay at too many hotels." Point taken. So began the search for non-hotelish feeling towels.... 

To my great surprise, Restoration Hardware has outlet stores. How did I not know of such a thing? Ian and I went to the location north of Philadelphia and found these "Stone" colored gems. But of course, they didn't have 4 towels in stock. We had them ordered and voila- the taupe colored towels add just the right amount of color to our space. 

If you go online to shop at Restoration Hardware, they have the exact Stone color listed under their "802-Gram Turkish Towel" collection. But if you call a RH outlet store, they carry the less expensive "602-Gram Turkish Towel" in the same color. 

I found my towel holder online; I won it from an estate sale! Actually, it's an old vintage fireplace log rack. It's such a petite size, made of cast iron, and has a retro vibe that fits well with the penny tile surround. I thought about spray painting it white, but then decided to embrace its imperfections. It's definitely one of my favorite finds! 

I know it sounds like I just knocked white towels, but the ones hanging on the wall aren't your standard white towels. These, my friends, are luxe linens that I received for Christmas. Yes, quite the splurge, but they are quality. They are sophisticated with their herringbone accent; and most importantly, they are soft and durable. My Garden and Gun magazine led me to them. You can find them (and many other gorgeous options) here.

Since I splurged on fine linens, I had no other choice but to stay on budget with our shower curtain. Well, some of you may know this, but I did not-- fabric ain't cheap! I went to a local boutique and had two fabrics pulled for price quotes. One of the fabrics, a fine Italian cotton, would cost $798 for my extra tall shower curtain to be custom made. The other fabric quoted out to a mere $398. Obviously, designer fabric was way out of my price range, so I decided to shop wholesale fabric stores and make the curtain myself! For $65 and 8 tedious hours of my time, I really love the way MY handmade, tall shower curtain came out! (Please take note of the straight-line stitching ;)

I held my breath as Ian drilled a towel hook into our tile work. Everything turned out fine; the tile did not crack! At this point, I had just finished altering the shower liner to fit our space (special ordered from Macy's). I had to get crankin' on the outer curtain so our bathroom would look completed! 

Well, after five long months, it feels so good to be finished with this bathroom remodel. 

If anyone is curious...
The upcoming home improvement plans include: finishing the second bedroom (it's currently covered in wallpaper and drywall), hanging a new dining room light fixture, and building a new coat closet. Happy happy joy joy !

¡Hola! Mexico

With yet another winter storm encroaching the east coast, I can't help but close my eyes and dream of soft white sand and blue ocean waves. Ahh, my happy place. Snow is nowhere on my mind because just four days ago, Ian and I were in Playa del Carmen. I want to go back. Desperately.

We were worn out and burnt out (from winter's wrath, home improvements, and work schedules), so we bolted. Dying for some hot weather, we landed in Mexico. Once we hit the beach, we were instantly rejuvenated and released of life's frustrations! If you too are experiencing symptoms of the wintertime blue's, escape to somewhere warm... and I promise, all will be well again :) 

Favorite photos from our little tryst....

Flipping our Shower: Part II

Free apps for the iPhone just get better and better! The latest download to my collection is called Flipagram. Sounds like Instagram, yes? Well, this easy-to-use app takes those beautifully edited photos from Instagram and allows you to build a mini movie montage. You can set your montage to music too! What a genius idea! For those of you on Facebook, you've probably already watched this video, but for those of you who are not.....

Now, you can watch 43 pictures in the matter of a minute (no music) flip across the screen, showcasing the progress of our shower remodel from start to finish! I'll have to post a Flipagram that tracks the entire bathroom updates, but for now, watch how we "flipped" this shower.... 

That clip is fast, so here are some shots of the tiling work.

 Ahhh, those last few days of grouting were brutal!

Chopped

This past fall, we met with a landscaper to discuss improving our curb appeal. With so much yard to update, we can only afford to make changes in phases.

The landscaper suggested we start with hiring an arborist to discuss tree removal. I'd never heard of an arborist! Basically, he's the tree specialist. If we want grass, we need more sunlight, which means eliminating shady trees. Simple enough.

So the arborist showed us which trees to keep and which ones to cut down. The price of professional tree removal almost made me fall down! But I must say, now that the job is finished, it was money well spent. The heavy duty equipment and precise planning involved to chop down huge trees was more complicated than I originally thought. 

With the removal of an elm and a few cedars in our front yard, we can now see our home (and the roof) so much better from the road. Sunlight finally floods the foyer and front bedroom beautifully! In the backyard, they cut down a tree that was dead and one that was leaning way too close to our deck.

Check out the results...

Let's start with pictures from the FRONT yard.
This view is from our front porch. Those two trunks, front and center, were removed.

Providing too much shade, this giant (it's the same tree as the picture above on the right side) had to go....

Another view of just how tall these trees soar....

Watch this short video ... 

Timber !! 

BEFORE & AFTER

Moving on to the BACKYARD....

Yes, that is a man climbing up the tree. He installed a steel bar between the trunks for extra stability and support. We didn't want these trees to be chopped, and since they are so close to our deck, we needed to install the support beam.

This leaning tree (tagged with the orange tape) posed a high risk of falling on our house and deck; it was an easy decision to cut. 

The leaning tree, falling away from our house. These guys were so safe and precise. They did a great job!  

Now, we are going to start saving again before beginning the next phase of landscaping! But for now, we are checking "New Fence" and "Tree Removal" off our list. 

Privacy Matters

I've probably said this before, but ......
After we finish flying a trip, Ian and I just want to hide out. Escape. We both crave peace and quiet after dealing with all the airport chaos. 

So as you can imagine, one of the biggest factors in purchasing our new home was privacy. We did not want to share any walls with our neighbors, and we did not want a small property line. Well, we got what we wanted - a large chunk of land covered with beautiful trees in a quiet neighborhood. 

However, once winter stripped the trees of their leaves, our backyard became a little too bare. The chain link fence was not giving us the privacy we desired. Plus, it just looked dated. So Ian took down 320 feet of chain link fence by himself. 

After the laborious removal, we decided to hire a crew for building the new fence. The guys did a great job! We now have a 6ft. tall, privacy fence that blends nicely with all the trees in our backyard (we plan to clear out the brush once the weather gets warmer). The crew also added a kick plate to the bottom of the fence for extra height! How thoughtful. 

Now, we love our peaceful, private backyard! We will love it even more this summer.

The Aftermath. This Heavy, Chunky Chain Link Fence Had to GO! 

Thanks a lot Winter, You Left our Backyard Bare!

Our New Fence!

Christmas Recap

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! 

Ian and I were so blessed this Christmas. Even with our crazy airline schedules (I'm was on reserve and Ian was completing upgrade training), we were able to visit all our families. While some visits were shorter than we preferred, we were grateful for the time spent with all our loved ones.

Here's a small collection of pictures taken throughout the wonderful week of Christmas! 

 First Stop: Princeton. Dinner at Grandma Sue's house!

Second Stop: Jenkintown. A week at Rick and Nan's house! 

 This is how the week started with uncle Ian. They were BOTH warming up to one another.

And this is how the week ended. Jacee stole his heart (along with everyone else's). 

Third Stop: Louisville. Quick overnight at Jon and Joan's house!

As you can see, we are so lucky to have all these amazing people in our lives!

We wish everyone a Happy New Year!!