Around Here :: Goodbye Tree

Last week we had a troublesome tree removed from our backyard. What a difference it makes! And now I don't have to worry about it blowing over every time we have a storm! We also have a pretty enormous stack of firewood for the next couple of years. Bonus!

Before & After :: Feature wall

When we first bought our house it had this brick red feature wall in one of the bedrooms. It wasn't hideous but red isn't one of my favourite colours and I felt like it made the room very dark and heavy. Fast-forward two years and I had had enough. Thanks to four coats of white paint and some silver Silhouette Vinyl, I now have a light, bright and fun feature wall. I smile every time I walk in!

Now I love the white so much, I'm thinking that the whole room would look great white. Hmm, I feel another project brewing...

Before & After :: Bathroom Makeover

It is amazing what a weekend and 4 litres of white paint can do! I've been planning my bathroom makeover for months, you can see my pinboard here. Mostly I just wanted a clean, bright space and to get rid of the "renters beige".

I'm so pleased with the results, evertime I walk in there I feel calm and peaceful, it's like my own private, beige-free, spa.

Before & After :: Study

A couple of weekends ago, I emptied everything out of my study and painted it the palest of pinks. Then I went through everything that came out of the room and only put back the things I really loved.

The colour makes the room glow in the afternoon light and I smile every time I walk into it.

I also treated myself to new curtains and a lovely soft, sea-green rug. I love everything about my new room.

  

Before & After :: Living area

Another room ticked off the list, our living room got a coat of paint on Sunday. I custom-designed the colour by mixing white into the left over paint from the kitchen. It makes the whole room feel fresher and more modern. Love.

Patience

Patience. It is one thing I am learning (the hard way usually) with having our own house. There are so many things I want to do but time and finances usually limit me to one or two things at a time.

So I am learning to look for and appreciate the small things I can do that make a big difference, with not much time or money spent.

So until I find the time (and dry weather) to paint all the hallway doors, I am happy to make this little improvement with a left over roll of chalkboard contact paper.

Before and After :: Kitchen

Amazing what a coat (or four) can do. I am slightly addicted now and I have plans to change the wall colour as well. Then I'll move on to the bathroom, study, hall, bedroom...

... wait, what was I saying about having too many things to do? Adding to the list, now that seems smart!

Twinkle, twinkle

Another part of the "Make the deck pretty" plan involved the use of lights. Solar powered twinkle lights to be exact.

I love these so much. They were so simple to put up and make such a difference.

They are the prettiest white/blue shade and create a little roof of lights.

Can't wait until the weather is warm enough to enjoy being under them at night but for now I'm enjoying them through the windows.

Hope your weekend was sparkly too.

I want to live here...

... especially this bedroom. I wonder how Shane would feel about pink?

Originally seen on design*sponge

Befores and Afters

Some major changes happened at home this weekend and I can't believe the difference it has made to how I am feeling. The place is literally lighter and less overbearing and that is exactly how I feel too. Lighter. Still a lot of clearing and planting to go but I feel more optimistic about staying here now.

House Hunting

Image from Here.

We have started the horrendous process of trying to buy a house. We have found a place we both love and now we are trying to work out whether we can afford it or not. It is so nerve-wreaking! I've been up half the night panicking about what will happen if we get it and what will happen if we don't. Fingers crossed that this works out for us!