Sunday, July 22, 2012

the reno part 1....


We have been in love with this house ever since we bought it almost 6 years ago.  With the birth of our 2 sweet beans and one more on the way we needed to do some hard thinking!

Should we stay or go???

We thought and thought and thought about our options and though this corky little house is by no means the biggest or easiest of floor plans we just could not say good-bye to it!



So comes ripping out walls, floors, ceiling, and windows to update our 1967 split to fit our growing needs and fam!    


Typical floor plan...living room opens to dining room.  The space solution for upstairs...make one big open concept living space.

Old dining room with my paint swatch art  on the walls.

Little door that leads to kitchen.

Another view of living room and front hall...excuse the mess...it was just about demo day.

Stairs to upstairs and stairs leading to downstairs family room.

Kitchen...
Another view....kitchen
Our lower level family room.  






Our lower level family room...The space solution...open up the wall to the basement so that we can see the kids playing.  Next add a mini mud-room in the existing nook between the basement and bathroom doors because this level is our garage access.    


And so it begins....









First floor opened up!  Holy Cow!



This is our new kitchen space.



Wall opened to the basement play area.


Front hall getting a face lift....






To be continued......


Wednesday, July 18, 2012

little details....vignettes and trays

I enjoy bringing my own artwork in to our home as much as I can.  Simple sketches can add nice backdrops for vignettes or wall groupings.  




I am drawn to organic images...i often sketch from what I see in nature.  



If your not up for sketching go to the library and check out some art history books.  Picasso and Cezzane are some good options.  Bring them to your local Kinko's or Staples and make an enlarged copy to frame. Just find something you dig and use your resources so you are not spending a fortune! 




Etsy also has some great priced sketches. Above is a fantastic example from the shop carambas ....check it out!


Some eye candy.......








examples via Pinterest and DecorPad
                                                                           

Friday, October 28, 2011

Two Mothers

An amazing night.  Organic good for you food at Two Mothers restaurant.  They get all of their food from local farmers and create little waste. Why aren't more restaurants like this?  It feels good to dine out with your family and know that you are all eating clean food!!  Two amazing moms working to recreate the school lunch programs in our area. 

On the menu for tonight....portobello lasagna, sun dried tomato bruschetta, garlic hummus and red peppers, lentil soup, to die for gluten free/vegan black bean chocolate cake and last but not least my little brother rocking the place out on the guitar!









Thursday, October 20, 2011

Danada

I enjoy finding those places that transport you to another time.  One that is high on my list for local must sees is the Danada Forest Preserve.  Danada is the former estate of Daniel Rice and his wife, Ada, racehorse enthusiasts who bred champion Thoroughbreds. With amazing conservation and educational programs, plus the overall history of Danada, it is hard not to fall in love with its rich character.       


The Danada House...where my husband and I got married...sweet memories! 
 
Some of the fall beds in the formal garden.




I know a mum is a mum, but you can't beat their scrumptious colors in the fall!


The back of the Danada House.




Such a peaceful place....