Black(board) Beauty

When we undertook our kitchen remodel last summer, I envisioned a counter depth 

refrigerator that seamlessly blended in with the cabinetry.  

(Perhaps if the children couldn't find the refrigerator then I would find them with their noses in books instead of inside the refrigerator looking for snacks ;-)  

We happened to find a "gently" used counter depth, side by side, panel ready refrigerator at our local appliance shop.  While we waited for it to be delivered we contemplated how we were going to take the existing thin, flat plywood panels and transform them into the raised panel, ivory base with tobacco distressed finish and oiled rubbed bronze hardware refrigerator of my dreams.  

So we came up with step one: paint it with an ivory base coat, tobacco glaze and then distress.  "Hmmm…." I heard my husband mumble after the first coat of glaze "That doesn't look good".  He was right.  Step two: give up and start another project.

I am not one for accepting unfinished or (pardon the expression) half a_ _ed projects.  It just drives me insane…really!  But live with it…I did…until just a few weeks ago when a light bulb went off in my head.  Why not paint the panels with chalkboard paint?  Not exactly what I had envisioned but I can showcase some pretty fonts and let the kids know what is for dinner.  I grabbed my paint brush, went scavenging through the laundry room for the chalkboard paint that I had used on in the inside of my son's bedroom armoire and in one afternoon restored my sanity.  

Presenting…

…the almost finished chalk/menu board refrigerator.  I did say almost finished…we want to do something about the big white square that is the water/ice dispenser (make it blend in instead of 

STAND OUT!) and we would like to paint the interior center panel to match the stainless handles.  I had to give up my oil rubbed bronze pulls but such is the nature of home renovation…just like marriage... it involves compromise.  

I am going to add a little something something to the other side panel as well.  Hopefully it won't take another year before I decide what that is.  

This is the refrigerator before.

I wanted to snap a photo of our little ones with their noses inside of the refrigerator for the "after" shot because that is the reality of the after but I haven't managed to get one…yet.

May your weekend be full of light bulb moments and happy compromises.

Cristine

I am linking this post to "Wow Us Wednesdays" 

at Savvy Southern Style

A Place for Grace

Awhile back I posted about the progress that I had made 

on the design of my stepdaughter's room.

Her room has been in a state of undress 

since we moved into the house in January of 2008.  

All of that is about to change.

Here is the room as it is now.

We did manage to paint the walls, the ceiling and the beams.

{The ceiling beams were a decorative element that had

 already been added to the house when we moved in.

They look a little cottage "ish" so we decided to keep them}

Another "before" photograph.

Here you can see the ceiling beams-which we painted a deep brown

~even thought it doesn't look very deep in this photograph~

And….

Here is the design plan.

The inspiration photograph is located on the bottom left corner.

Since the room is small I decided to create a bed nook which will be defined by the canopy.

I am going to use the crown (upper left) as the top of the canopy by attaching it to the wall and hanging fabric from it.  I have chosen three fabrics for the canopy.  The first is the large medallion floral in the top middle.  The second fabric is the deep brown floral and the third is the blue linen.  I am going to edge the front panel with an ivory crochet lace as well.

My thought is to repeat some of these fabrics in accessories like bed shams, throw pillows, hat boxes, etc.  The crewel fabric in the upper right will be layered with softer fabrics to create a bedskirt.  I have not chosen the linens as of yet but I am certain there will be ruffles :-)

I want to create a focal point as you enter the room so the far wall will be adorned with the blue damask wallpaper (upper left to the right of the crown).

The paint colors have already been applied-third from the left is the color I chose for the walls-it is called "Elephant".  The lightest shade (far left) was used for the ceiling.

The one thing that we did manage to do after moving in was to replace the dated parquet floors with Brazilian walnut 

{best idea ever!  It is so incredibly hard and durable that it has managed to withstand four children, one dog and a husband who seems to think that his closet encompasses the entire first floor-aka  there are shoes and coins and baseball hats all over}

The final element included above is the animal print area rug.  It is a little outside out of the design element but I like to keep it quirky ;-)  

Grace will appreciate that.

Whew…I have a lot of work to do.

I look forward to posting the "afters".

Cristine 

Linking up to party with…

Feathered Nest Friday 

Vintage Inspiration Friday

Inspiration Friday at the Picket Fence

Wish Fulfilled

www.bookofjoe.com

I won! I won!

{please excuse me for a moment while I jump for joy}

www.franco-file.co.uk/

I won a wonderfully charming enamel house number sign

from Ramsign

The giveaway was sponsored by a fellow Colorado blogger 

and

creator of this lovely blog

image from Ramsign

Thank you, Mary :-)

I am soooo excited!

I never seem to win anything 

~much less something ~

that is perfectly suited to my latest project

You see I have been frantically working weekends

in an effort to improve and enhance the "curb appeal"

of our home.  

Last weekend, J- built a new front door jamb 

and installed a stylish new entrance complete with an

aged bronze door knob.

{I spent the weekend shuffling back and forth to the hardware store 

and local paint shop trying to find the absolutely perfect shade of stain

~which~

I am happy to report that after 4 trips to Sherwin Williams, one quart of pre-stain treatment, 

and a lot of applying and wiping later-

I believe I have found}

While my little ol' ranch won't exactly look like this

www.frenchduck.com

or this...

www.atticmag.com

The addition of the exquisite Ramsign Metropolitan house number plaque

will be a welcome improvement.

I can't imagine anything greater than being greeted by a 
little european flair after coming home from a long day's work ;-)

The outdated house number sign that my new enamel plaque will replace

And I can't wait to post about it

along with the new front door

that I will spend the upcoming weekend

staining the perfect shade of walnut ;-)

May all of your wishes be fulfilled!

Cristine

Inner Houses

From the beautiful blog http://roomseventeenstyle.blogspot.com

Every once in awhile I stubble upon a blog

(in this case there are two blogs) 

that reaches deep down into my soul 

This image is from an inspiring blog called The Paper Mulberry

And makes my heart ecstatically jump.

because 

If my inner house could be expressed in images

These are what they would look like.

Thank you 

Room Seventeen

&

The Paper Mulberry

I am going to be working on my outer house this long weekend.

Refinishing a front door that my dear mister purchased from architectural salvage, 

building a door jamb, taking down an old iron security door and then marveling 

at the lovely new entrance :-)

Wishing you an inspiring holiday weekend.

Cristine

Childhood Captured

I love these black and white photographs of my sons.

While…

they are a bit older now 

(9 and 11 years old)

there is a part of my memory that

will always carry the image of these

young boys as they were when they were small.

Although…

the faces today are just beautiful as they were then 

and 

I never tire of admiring them.

Cristine

Satchel Shout Out

I don't know what I would do without my big bag of everything under the sun

(aka briefcase)

So when the shoulder straps began to fray and tear 

(who could ever imagine that I could carry so much heavy stuff ;-)

I thought that I might have to retire it.  

Until the idea came to me…to look up the manufacturer

and see if they could repair it.

Well…not only did the manufacturer replace both shoulder straps 

with brand new ones…

they did it all at no cost.

I had to pay for shipping to NYC and that was it!

They sent it back to me good as new and neatly wrapped

in a fabric bag. 

So I am sending a great big shout out to 

Jack Georges, Inc.

&

Mark Rossi 

(the man who provides excellent customer service and you don't get that very much)

Thank you for fixing that which I cannot live without.

If you are in the market for a well crafted, beautiful briefcase of your own…

I highly recommend Jack Georges, Inc.  

Now I am off to go fill it up with some grass seed, alyssum blossoms and potting soil

for my weekend garden project.

May your weekend blossom.

Cristine

Hidden Heroes

Have you ever wanted to be just like someone?  

I don't mean wanting to look like some famous movie star 

or possessing the fame and money of some popular sports figures.

I am talking about someone you meet in your ordinary life 

who

 just happens to move you, 

or inspire you 

or whose mannerisms you wish you could emulate.

Someone who makes you want to be the person that you know that 

you are.

Someone who makes you feel like you can accomplish anything.

In the past week I have been reminded of two such people 

in my own ordinary extraordinary life.

The first is ....my mom.

A photograph of my mom, brother and me 

How incredibly fortunate I am 

to have 

the most beautiful, loving, passionate, talented and generous woman

as my first and most important role model.  

(what a lot to live up to ;-)

The second is a professor that I had while attending 

the University of Colorado at Boulder

Old Main on the CU campus with the Flatirons in the background.
image from sco2powercyclessymposium.org

I came to discover that she is no longer teaching at my alma mater

but

she is close by.

Book image from moreintelligentlife.com

In fact, she lives only 6 blocks from our downtown Victorian.

I was able to catch up with what has been going on in her life

(mine seems so insignificant by her standards)

She has written several books and done a lot of world traveling.

She also still teaches..thankfully.

I am certain that she has inspired and touched many other students

since my classroom days.

My mom and my professor have some things in common.
(aside from being highly intelligent)

Both of these amazing women brought about in me 
a genuine love of reading and books, 

of writing and being inspired by the things around me and inside of me.

Both encourage me to find something that I am passionate about

and pursue it with my whole heart.

Image from dynamolund.wordpress.com

I only wish that I could capture that essence of them and carry it around with me.

To be continually reminded that I can accomplish anything.

And so can you...wherever you are.

Cristine