a house-lover | chatting at the sky

lampapalooza

May 28, 2009

Lamps. Our warm-lighted, mood-setting, friends. Lamps are kind of like shoes: I have way too many and not nearly enough. I hesitate to participate in this lamp showing party because I feel like y’all have already seen every nook and cranny possible in this house. But she’s my sister and I love lamps and I just can’t help myself. lamps-1

That lamp is really big. A Marshalls original. It is my favorite in the house.

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The Nester says every kitchen should have at least one lamp and this chandelier counts since it has shades. Only problem is it is hung too high. I’m too lazy to change it. lamps-3

Our dining room chandelier is hung lower, as you can see. Notice how I like to put lamps in front of mirrors to make it look like more lamps. Also notice our kitchen cabinets through that door there before we painted them black.

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Then you got your sheep lamp…

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your shell lamps…

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…and your bird lamp. I have more, but I’ll stop now. Head on over to Nesting Place to peek in other peoples houses and get a glimpse of their lovely lampage.

Filed Under a house-lover 45 Comments

backsplash details

April 27, 2009

For those of you who are sick of the kitchen talk, my deepest apologies. I wanted to do a follow up blurb about the backsplash in our kitchen, as many of you asked for the details. But it feels too long ago to just to a blurb so now I have to make it a whole post.

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my parent’s kitchen

The tile is called Bevel Hampton Sand and comes in various sizes. My parents have the 3×6 individual tile and looks more like the standard size subway, as you can see in the above photo. We have the 2×4 tiles that come mounted on mesh. Both tiles have a crackle finish, but I think you can get it without that.

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Mom shows her support for the Nester with this tiny tassel hanging happily in her kitchen.

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A big thanks to my Dad for keeping a record of the tile details. I’m such a kid. I’ve been calling it “bisque mini-subway crackle”. That is so not the name of it. If you are new around here and want to know what the mini subway tile looks like, check out this post from last month about our kitchen redo. bevel-hampton-sand

Edie @ Life in Grace is doing a Linky today for us to share our painted wood projects and I’m linking my painted cabinet post to her party. And y’all? You should see her painted kitchen cabinets. Three words: Vintage. Darling. Home. And fabulous is my extra-credit word. If you have any wood you’ve painted, share your project over at her place. But at the very least go over, see her kitchen and be inspired.

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Don’t forget to link up tomorrow for Tuesdays Unwrapped!

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kitchen chats

April 17, 2009

saltandpepper

Is this not the cutest salt and pepper shaker you have ever seen? Who do you think owns these? I’ll give you one guess. They can fit in the palm of your hand. They may even fit in your pocket. And it may be that no one even notices if you walk out with them. Not that you would do that. But you could is all I’m saying.

They were a gift from Laryssa @ Heaven in the Home who happens to have a great post up right now about eating real food.

While we’re talking about things in the kitchen, I have to tell you about Amanda @ The Eck Life who was inspired to paint her kitchen cabinets black. And she has before and after photos to share. Love. It.

And to round out these kitchen chats: Wanna know how to clean your wooden cutting board? Check out Kendra’s video tutorial @ My First Kitchen.

I’m headed to my moms house this morning and I can’t wait to show you her new backsplash. It is the same as mine, but if mine is the baby then hers is the mommy. You’ll see what I mean.

Tagged house Filed Under a house-lover 16 Comments

making a place for her

April 13, 2009

It is important to pay attention to the things that make you tear up. Those things tell you something about yourself and perhaps, something about the God who made you. Lately I have been challenged to pay attention to those tender moments during a conversation with a friend or a sermon at church rather than try to avoid or ignore them.

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For many months, my dear friend Sissy has been waiting for a baby. When it began to seem as though she would be unable to conceive, her heart turned willingly to adoption. It has only been five months since they picked an agency, but a little less than two weeks ago, they got the call.

In matter of minutes, her dream of becoming a mother seemed within reach. As the birth parents continue the process of relinquishing parental rights, Sissy’s prayer is that they would know that she and her husband already love this little girl, and that they are making a place for her in their home. It’s true, they do. And they are. They have a room for her with a crib and pretty green walls and a rocking chair in the corner.

When I read those words that Sissy wrote, that they are ‘making a place for her’, the emotion welled up and spilled over before my mind could logically process their meaning.This little baby is redeemed and brought near before she even has a chance to be rejected. I can’t imagine the anguish of a woman carrying a child within her, knowing only a matter of days separate her from the life she bears within. I can’t imagine the difficulty of giving up your baby. But I’m so glad she was willing to choose life when she could have chosen death.

I see in Sissy’s longing a glimpse of the Father’s love for us. She longs for this baby to know that she is wanted, loved and sought after.

Just like us.

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now, we call him, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15 NLT

To read more on adoption, check out my links under stories of adoption.

Filed Under a friend, a house-lover, a mother 20 Comments

painting cabinets: a follow up

March 26, 2009

Last week, I had fun showing you our black kitchen cabinets. Many of you wanted to know how to paint cabinets. I have to tell you that I did not paint our cabinets myself for three reasons: I am impatient, I am sloppy, and we had some extra money to hire someone.

I have painted cabinets in a couple of bathrooms. But I’ll leave the real tutorials to those who know a thing or two. Google it if you want the technical. I’m good for a few tips, though.

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First and most importantly, buy some black poster board and hot glue it to the cabinets to see what they will look like. Don’t skip this step.

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Take the doors off. But leave the cabinets on. Very technical, I am.

Sanding? Eh. Maybe a little. But cleaning them is more important, really.

Use a gray or black primer (if you are painting them a dark color).

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When the doors go back on, they may not hang exactly as they used to. Get over it. It’s okay.

Don’t paint the inside of the cabinets. Unless you want to be painting for 17 years straight. Then definitely paint the inside.

Know that some people will still like it better the other way. And some people will tell you that it is not okay to paint cabinets. Learn to be okay with that.

By far, the most repeated comment I received on that post went something like this: I love your cabinets and would love to paint mine, but I’m too afraid.

Uhhh, what? Seriously, girls. It’s time to take back the house, put on our big girl pants and face that fear. Was I afraid? A little. Why? What if I didn’t like it? What if people laughed at me? And what if it was wrong? Besides, there was plenty of opposition.

My father-in-law said not to paint the cabinets.

My realtor man said not to paint the cabinets.

And yes, even the painter said not to paint the cabinets.

But all of these people had two things in common: they were all men and none of them live in my house.
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I could have left them the way they were, pleased to know that my realtor, father in law and painter’s wishes were being met. Or. OR? I could do what I wanted to do and love my kitchen. You know what I chose.

If your husband is the man who doesn’t want you to paint the cabinets? Well, I can’t help you there. Lucky I’ve got The Man who thought it was a great idea. But maybe if you find enough before and after photos to show him, he can be convinced.

If you need more inspiration and courage, check out this post written by The Nester. She knows how to face nesting fears head on and shoot them point blank with a hot glue gun.

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And due to the fact that Kimba is closing the internet on Friday, I’ll announce the gift card winner on Monday. Or Saturday. I haven’t decided yet.

Tagged house Filed Under a house-lover 55 Comments

dare you to paint your cabinets black

March 16, 2009

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As of today, I have been chatting at the sky for exactly 300 posts! Let’s celebrate with a little kitchen tour. Ready to get right to it?

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This is the part where the people before us had a washer and dryer in the kitchen. You can read more about their magic clothes and how we did a cabinet switcharoo in this post.

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This is the part where you get to see just how orangey-pink these cabinets really were. And the part where you notice how the island was green granite and the rest of the counter tops were green laminate. All the way up the wall. Awesome.

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island-after

This is the part where you notice how much better the island looks now and you decide to read all about the island transformation on my guest post at Nesting Place.

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This is where I stood when we walked through the house for the first time and I almost cried because the owner had just told me they had recently updated their kitchen. This is also where I stood when I realized how much I hated it and I didn’t want to pay for their new, ugly kitchen in the price of the house.

This is the same place where I stand and make food for my kids and watch them color and fight and play cars. Its also where I chat on the phone with my sister and think up blog posts and love. my. kitchen. And we didn’t have to knock out walls or pay for new cabinets or buy a new oven. We made some drastic changes. But we didn’t have to start over. And the ugly kitchen wasn’t a deal breaker in buying the house.

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This is the part where I tell you we considered knocking out that random wall to make the kitchen feel more open.

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And this is the part where I tell you that, as it turns out, that vent on that wall is sorta important and when we heard how much it would cost, we decided to live with it and hang a yard sale picture there instead.

I know some of you would like to see what is behind that wall that we did not take out.

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It’s basically a grown-up friendly kids corner. As opposed to a kid-friendly grown up corner. There is a difference.

Most of this work was done when we first moved in. But this week I finally finished putting the knobs and drawer pulls on the cabinets. Actually, that is a lie. I’m a little bit lazy. (and a little bit country. and a little bit rock and roll). I still have nine drawer pulls to go. Sue me.

One last thing.

The Details

Wall Paint: Sherwin Williams Ivoire (6127)

Cabinet Paint: SW Tricorn Black (6258) Semi-gloss finish

Any black will do. For me, I picked the blackest black on the color wheel.

Island Paint: SW Navajo White (6126)

Granite: New Venetian Gold

(Giallo Ornamental was in our old kitchen with black cabs)

Window Mistreatment Topper Fabric and Fringe: Hobby Lobby

Damask Window Panels: Target

Window Mistreatment Inspiration: The Nester

Back splash: Bevel Hampton Sand with crackle finish (2×4)

For more details, check out the follow up post.

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For more posts on painted wood, please visit Edie’s beautiful and creative blog @ Life in Grace.

This post is also linked with Sanctuary Arts at Home’s You Should Have Seen it Before! party.

Filed Under a house-lover 182 Comments

kitchen tease

March 13, 2009

The kitchen is almost done! All that staring yesterday gave me just the boost I needed to finish the job. Now for the task of photographing it all and inviting you in. Here’s a sneak peek, a special Friday the 13th preview. peek

Turns out its really difficult to photograph black cabinets. I’ll be working on that this weekend so I can show you the whole thing next week. In the meantime while you have kitchens on the brain, head on over to My First Kitchen.

She’s hosting a survey about cooking habits and could really use your help. It takes about 25 seconds to complete. And you can win free spices, so its totally worth it. Take the survey here. Enjoy your weekend!

Admin Note: The comments are going to look a little crazy for the next day or so, but they’ll still work just fine.

Filed Under a friend, a house-lover 14 Comments