Shades of Gray, Barn Doors and Beams

This past week was a week full of decisions regarding the house! I have said all along that I want the house to be DIFFERENT. I am not a fancy person. I want it to have the feeling that makes guests want to stay and kick their shoes off and not be afraid to drink a glass of red wine. So that takes me to some decisions we have made...

1. To use barn doors. We are placing them as the entry to our laundry room and our master bath. (Above picture courtesy of www.houseofturquoise.com

The above picture is courtesy of www.remodelista.com from Feldman Architecture.

Below hardware photo if from www.knobsandhardware.com

2. I currently have mostly chrome in my kitchen. I have now decided to paint the island Porpoise by Sherwin Williams (a dark warm shade of gray). So....I am leaning toward chunkier, rustic hardware on just that piece in the kitchen.

3. Barn Beams. I knew that I wanted barn beams in my house, but I wasn't sure where. We are still deciding, but it looks like we are placing them in the back entrance on the ceiling, in the master bath, as the screened porch mantel, and in the dining room. I am SUPER excited about these! These pictures are taken from www.fauxwoodbeams.com to give you an idea, ours actually belong to our builder. She bought a whole barn and had them treated for use in her homes. Again...I recommend her whole-heartedly!! www.stacyeloveconstruction.com!!

4. Below is the shade of gray that I chose for my kitchen island. Porpoise by Sherwin Williams. I am also carrying it into the hall bath and into our master cabinets. I LOVE it!

Thanks for reading this simple blog today. I continue to write this stuff down as a journal of the process of building Forever Farm. Yes, the name is a little cheesy, but so am I! We have waited FOREVER to build it. We refer to it as our "forever house" when picking things out to remind ourselves that we need to be timeless, and we can't wait to live there together forever! Seems fitting to me! :)

Porch Swings Make Me Happy :)

I get teased all the time when I tell my girlfriends that I LOVE Garden and Gun magazine. The only reason they tease me is because they have never read it. If they had, there would be ZERO hard time given to me! It is an AWESOME magazine that I completely look forward to showing up in the mailbox. It is full of everything southern and wonderful. The below cover is from the issue where I found the most amazing porch swing. A young designer from Nashville (Rachel Halvorson- http://www.rachelhalvorson.com/) is featured in this issue and there are multiple pictures of work she did on Ronnie Dunn (yes...of Brooks and Dunn). What I loved most was her beautiful porch swing!

You can check it out on her blog...www.nestegg.typepad.com. She also offers them for sale, and I am DYING to get my hands on one for the porch of Forever Farm.

The above photo is also taken from Garden and Gun. Rachel is hanging out on the amazing swing that I ADORE!

There is just something about a swing. It takes you back to childhood but also is a soft place to sit after a long day... (beach is optional...)

STRONG

Today I found this great photo on Pinterest. I loved it. One of the best feelings in the world is the feeling you get when you surprise yourself by doing something you never imagined you could. How many times have we said "If that happened to me, I could never...." and then it does and we do? How many people inspire you when you hear about their story? They beat a disease. They lost a child and are still standing. Still breathing. Still functioning. They have a serious marriage struggle and come out okay. They lost everything in a house fire. They spent a year raising children alone while their husband fought on the front lines not knowing if he would return. Strength is inspiring. But I believe it is God given. One of my favorite songs on earth is called HELD. It was written by a woman who lost her baby. Even in the midst of hell, she was cradled...held...by God and his unfailing love. Strength is the most powerful when it is comes softly. Calmly. And stays.

Back to School 2011

School is back in session. Doesn't Riley look excited...(note sarcasm).

Bailey is catching on that school gets harder as the grades go up...

Finley is excited because she is top of the totem pole at preschool!

So sweet and truly excited.

And then there is the Biggins... He was so excited. He pitched a royal fit when I dropped him off because he couldn't take Mater and Lightning McQueen with him. The teacher said it didn't take long before he found some purple sunglasses and everything was alright.

Wierd to think that all my kids are off to school.

I miss them while they are there, but the thought of getting things done, going into the office, getting a workout without anyone complaining is kindof nice!
Still, it was really hard to see my little man walking away from me with a bookbag...excited to face the world! (sigh.)

My Husband the NASCAR driver! :)

Friday Todd drove a NASCAR car at 154+ miles an hour! Here are some pctures from the experience! One more thing off his Bucket List! :) So glad did it and is safely finished.

Love Letters :)

Last night I spoke with my friend Coni who just lost her husband in a tragic accident. She told me that she hopes that if anything comes from the tragedy, she hopes that it will make people appreciate what they have and tell each other daily. Learn from her.
We never know when we might lose someone we love...

Remind them. Kiss them. Hold them.

Words can go so far...especially when out of the blue.

Or as a surprise...

Even if you scramble in saying them...

Scribble...

Or make them fancy. They mean so much in any form.







Sometimes they are sweet...

And sometimes you have to forget that you were angry and say "I Love You" anyway because the anger was yesterday's feelings...

Love even when you are upset. Love all the time. Remind your husband he is wonderful. Tell your kids you adore them on a note in their lunch. I have an envelope of closed letters to my kids and husband that I have written over the years and have in our firesafe box. If something happens to me, they know where they are. They can open them at once, or one a year. But they are there. They are my feelings for them all wrapped up and saved just...in...case. Don't wait until it's too late and wish you said what you feel. P.S. Thank you.

Color Me Happy :)

Yesterday I met with Stacye and Phil (cabinet maker with Hickory Valley Woodworking out of Indiana) to discuss and nail down the cabinet design, style and colors. I have made it VERY clear of my desire for this house to be unique and that I do not want to be scared of color. But, as a realtor, I also know that resale is something to consider even if you plan to live forever in your new home. So, I am bringing in some color into the cabinetry because it is a way to bring uniqueness and at the same time a much easier thing to change with time than tile (for example). I do not have the color of our master bath cabinets (stained) or the hall powder room (distressed black), but here are some of my selections...

Aviary Blue by Sherwin Williams (a light robin's egg in real life) for Laundry and Office

Pure White by SW (looks blue here, but it will be the trim color of the home as well as the kitchen cabinet color, butler's pantry cabinet color and Riley and Bailey's vanity color.

Panache Pink by SW for Finley's vanity (will be adorned with crystal knobs to add a little Fancy and Whimsy along with a great twinkly chandelier. There is a reason we call her the Tiny Highness)

Denim by SW for Hogan's vanity. Very boyish in person and goes with his Americana madras vibe.

So that is one more thing off the list... feels good.

The Hardwood Debate

There is a reason it is called HARDwood. It is HARD to decide which kind to put in 2/3 of your home. This has been the debate... Beautiful Heartpine left basically natural. Gorgeoous. Like the old Antebellum houses. Wide and pretty. Also, the most expensive...


Heartpine...

Isn't it nice?

Or we go with reclaimed barnwood (oak). To the left it just has mineral spirits on it. I love the knots and the uniqueness of it. But...it has alot of flaws (a pro for style, a neg for cleaning and walking in heels) Rex (hardwood guy) says his rule is that he fills the hole with putty that a high heel could fit in...the rest stay. These are a little darker than I want, but have the old barn look that I desire...because they ARE it. Not fabricated or made to look that way. I also LOVE that they are

recycled...less trees down!

Or we go with distressed hickory. Very light like I like, but also not as distressed. Hmmmmm....HARD decisions.

If anyone needs hardwoods refinished or laid, I HIGHLY recommend Rex Owen. His company is Owen Custon Hardwoods. He is just a great guy with ALOT of talent and knowledge of wood. (And he is in a band which is just cool :)

(hickory to left)

http://www.owencustomhardwood.com/

More hickory...

BUCKET LIST for 2011

Now that school is back in session for at least two of my kids, I am working on my Bucket List for the rest of 2011. This year has not been the best year of my life by any stretch, but I am seeing God's plan unfolding everyday.Through difficulty truly does lie opportunity, and I have been blessed and lucky to have a marriage that is stronger now than ever thanks to God, faith, friendship and family, and love. Our kids are thriving, happy and healthy. We are building our dream home. Our business is good even in the midst of a recession. We don't have much if anything to complain about! I am learning that I am not in control and I never will be. But, I also CAN control some things that can help our life run more smoothly. I am working on a few of them...

1. Getting organized. I need to get a system. I used to be very organized and then I became a mom to four munchkins and it all went out the window

From pantry to closets to drawers, I want to have everything in it's place at the new house. That also means getting rid of alot of stuff before moving. Which brings me to...

2. Get rid of stuff. I simply do not want to bring anything

we don't use or want to the new house.

Even the garage...ORGANIZED. I think life is less stressful when things are in ORDER.

3. Get on an exercise schedule. I workout alot, but I want to have a PLAN. My goal is to be in the best shape of my life by Jan. 2012. Which brings me to #4...

#4. Get even more strict with what I put into my body and into the mouths of my children.

5. Look like her :) All kidding aside...number five would be to push myself in the gym and to find a workout in any form whenever I can. Todd and I work fitness into trips to the playground with the kids. It is easy to work Crossfit into a playground trip. There is plenty of equipment, room and variety. Chin-ups. Sprints. Army crawls. Push-ups. Dips on the park bench. Burpees. Jump rope. Jumping jacks. You see where I am headed. No excuses.

But it isn't about looking like the girl to the left or the girl above. It is about being the best YOU. Pushing yourself. Fueling your body. Getting organized and scheduled. I am not naturally this way. I fly by the seat of my pants and things generally pan out. But I am ready to be better in alot of aspects of my life. There are alot of Bucket List items not listed here. But today these are the spotlight. What's on your list?

(Photos courtesy of Pinterest)