Thank a Veteran

Ellie has three uncles by blood and three by love.  The three that aren't our brothers have all served or are serving in the military.  One Army Ranger, one Air Force Intelligence Officer, and one Marine Intelligence Officer... all Captains.  Today we would like to let these gentlemen and their families know how thankful we are for their service.

I received a forwarded email that I absolutely loved, so I wanted to share my favorite cartoon from it.

Make sure you thank a veteran today!

Fabric!

When decorating a room, what do you do first?  I used to choose a paint color first.  I would get the walls painted, move the furniture in, and then figure out how to find accents that matched over the next few months.  Over the last couple of years I have changed my tactic.  My motto now?  Fabric first.  Whether it is for pillows, window treatments, a tablecloth, or the back of a china cabinet (wink, wink), it's easier to match paint to fabric than fabric to paint.


I chose this to recover the chairs in the entry:

Waverly Cross Section in Charcoal

thinking that it would look ok with the walls.  Grey is grey, right?  Wrong.  I love the pattern and color, but it looked awful.  It made the walls look very blue, and an ugly shade of blue at that.  Had I chosen it first, we wouldn't be running into this problem and maybe I would have had a color on the walls that I don't hate.  I had to wait until Mother's Day to remedy the problem!

Anyway, I love fabric and how you can bring everything together around it.  I recently chose a theme for my daughter's first birthday party in August.  I'm going to try to do everything myself, so three months of planning is not too much time.  This is the fabric that we chose for the table runners, etc.

Isn't it cute?  More on the party to come.

What to Wear for Memorial Day

We are heading to Folly Beach to celebrate Memorial Day on Monday. It has always been my job to pack clothing for my husband and I while he takes care of food and beverages. This year will be my first packing for three, so I picked out matching (but not matchy-matchy) outfits. My husband will be none too thrilled about this!

Memorial Day Sun for baby, mommy and daddy

Old Navy Red, White & Blue Ruffled Bikinis for Baby, $14
Old Navy Striped Halter Swimsuit, $28
Old Navy Mens Patriotic-Print Swim Trunks, $18

Memorial Day Fun for baby, mommy, and daddy

Americana Plaid Dress for Baby $17
Bow-Tie Sandals for Baby, $15
Fedora hat, $13
Red Americana Logo Tee, $15 
White denim short short, $25
Gladiator sandal, $17
Navy Polo, already own
Patchwork Plaid Shorts, $30
Canvas Boat Shoes, $33

Train for a (half) Marathon

The running gene skipped me.  I grew up hearing stories about my dad's marathons and my mom's track and field state titles.  I'm not sure about now, but my mom still held a few Maine state records into the 1990's.  My parents were great runners... I'm not.  I've never enjoyed running "without a purpose."  Hurrying to score a goal or to block a spike over the net is one thing, but running just to run isn't my thing.

Well, now I've had a baby and I want to get in shape.  I need to recover from this:

It's getting more and more difficult to make time to exercise.  I was at the office one day feeling particularly fat after an unhealthy lunch, and I decided that I was going to start running 5 or 10K's on the weekends.  Then I received an email from a friend.  She is running a half marathon in November.  Six months to get in shape to run over 13 miles.  I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I'M SO IN!

I started Googling "how to get in shape for a half-marathon" and I found a technique that I'm going to try.  It incorporates some rest, which is just up my alley.  Here is my schedule:

I'm getting so excited!

The twelve week training schedule that I modified is from halfmarathons.net

This Week's Menu

Monday

Zucchini Pasta Bake with Salad

Tuesday

Beef Stroganoff with Green Beans

Wednesday

Mexican Stuffed Green Peppers

Thursday

Turkey/Bacon burgers with Sauteed Zucchini and Baked Red Potatoes

Friday

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Homestyle Mac&Cheese and Brocolli

Saturday

Memorial Day Festivities

Sunday

Memorial Day Festivities

All images courtesy of kraftfoods.com

Younger Skin

Does anyone else laugh each and every time this commercial comes on?  Just me?

Frog Tape

My Mother's Day present is FINALLY finished.  It is drying as I speak.  I snapped a few pics with my phone of the "during" and "just after pulling tape" phases.

I have wanted to paint stripes on the wall ever since I saw this adorable bathroom on my beloved Young House Love.  We were going to do a landscaping project for Mother's Day, but the rain clouds forced other plans.  No problem.  I batted my eyelashes at my husband and said, "Remember those stripes I've been asking for on the wall in the Foyer?"  Off to Lowe's we went for some supplies... including Frog Tape, the best stuff ever.  My friend Lindsey recommended it to us and now it's all we will use.

I measured the wall from crown molding to baseboards, and it totaled 91".  I've been out of school for some time, but I seemed to remember that a random number multiplied evenly into 91.  9+1=10, so it wasn't any factor of 3.  It wasn't 11 as I know that multiplication table.  Next to try was 13, and that was it!  13 goes into 91 seven times, which is why we have 7 stripes on the wall.  If I had divided 7 first then I would have been excited about that, but 13 it was.  I've looked up instructions to this project where the painter figures out how many stripes they want, then divides the height of the wall.  The answer has fractions and/or decimals for which we did not have the energy.  Nice even numbers are our style.

More pictures will come after we put the wall back together.  For now I'm loving my stripes and how expansive they make the wall look!

Olympic No-VOC Paint

When we purchased our home in October 2008, every wall was beige and every piece of trim was ivory.  It looked so dirty.  I probably should have just painted the trim white and called it a day, but since when have I ever done a home project the easy way?

We originally used Valspar paint, then we discovered that Sherwin-Williams had better coverage, then we became Sherwin-Williams Harmony (no-VOC) believers when I was pregnant.  Trying to keep the air in our home cleaner while we painted was starting to get a bit pricey.  I checked Consumer Reports and found that Olympic No-VOC Paint from Lowe's has a fabulous rating and only costs $17.98/gallon.  For a cheap-o like me, this was a great find!

Changing wall color is the cheapest, highest impact change you can make in a room.  It isn't, however, the easiest.  And I like to change the color of our space quite often!

Dreaming Office Decorating Dreams

Today my scenery at work was upgraded... from a cubicle to a shared office with another agent.  My office buddy is lovely and I'm excited to have a semi-private space.  This is going to be great!  Many people paint and decorate their offices, so of course I have some dreams for our new space.  I tend to go overboard when it comes to decorating.  I always have to remind myself that it isn't my home, so I don't need to put money into it!

But since we are dreaming...

I would paint the walls in horizontal stripes with shades of grey like my new entry wall!  I found a bedroom photo online to demonstrate

found on this blog

These would be our desks

Madison Large Trestle Desk from Target

We use giant legal files, so I found this legal file cabinet on CraigsList that I would repaint a glossy white with a dark grey top.  I love the legs!

and add a framed dry erase board above like so

Found on this blog

Black and white photos of our children would hang above our desks in black frames.  The remaining wall would hold a silver starburst mirror above a pedestal table flanked on each side by grey slipper chairs.

Sedona Sunburst Wall Mirror from Amazon

Gilda side table from Target

Williams-Sonoma Boyd slipper chair

Can you envision it?  I don't know about you, but I would want to buy a house in that space!!

What to Wear to Hubby's Bday Dinner

It feels like we are flying through the late twenties.  They say age is as old as you feel, and we live a quiet, settled life as if we were much older!  My husband's birthday is this week, and I'm treating myself to a new dress for his celebratory dinner.  Many of my friends head to the boutiques on Devine Street, but where do I go?  You guessed right if you guessed Target!  They are getting collections by more and more fabulous designers.  Why go anywhere else?

Calypso St. Barth for Target

Linen Wrap Dress in Chelsea Gray

Give to Others

Happy 9 Month Birthday Ellie!

As Ellie's first birthday approaches, she doesn't need anything.  She's the first grandchild and great-grandchild and has been showered with love and lots of gifts in her short nine months.  We have decided that in lieu of birthday presents, we are going to make a donation to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in her name.

I always tell her that Jesus looked at all of babies in Heaven and decided to send us the BEST one, though we don't deserve such a perfect little creature.  The St. Jude commercials take on new meaning when, as a new parent, you see someone watching their child fight for life.

And this is a special from "Today with Kathie Lee and Hoda."

We think it is so important to teach Ellie to give back to those in need.  We can't wait to tell her that her first birthday present was money for sick little kids.  With 85% of every dollar going directly to the cause, the people at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital are wonderful stewards of their money and deserve our support for such an important cause.

Learn about SC

I was at our monthly Dinner Club with friends when someone starting listing off the symbols of South Carolina.  Sadly, I didn't know many of them... but neither did some of the natives in the room!  I lived in North Carolina in 4th grade, the year you usually learn fun facts about your state.  I can list many about the Tarheel State and I'm slowly learning about my Palmetto State home.  You can learn with me about South Carolina symbols, and we'll start with the "plants and edibles" section for today:

 State Beverage: 

Milk 

(since 1984)

State Flower: 

Yellow Jessamine 

(since 1924)

State Fruit: 

Peach 

(since 1984)

State Grass: 

Indian Grass 

(since 2001)

State Hospitality Beverage: 

Tea

(since 1995)

State Snack: 

Boiled Peanut

(since 2006)

State Tree:

Palmetto Tree

(since 1939)

State Wildflower:

Goldenrod

(since 2003)

all images from scstatehouse.gov

Two (and a half) Weeks - Woot Woot!

I listed this beautiful home for sale on 4/27 and an offer was officially accepted on 5/14.  2 1/2 weeks.  It doesn't get much better than that Ladies and Gents.

Menu Monday

Monday

Cheeseburgers, Corn on the Cob, Salad, Baked Chips

Tuesday

Sausage Jambalaya

Wednesday

Baked Mac & Cheese, Crescent Hot Dogs, Broccoli

Thursday

Sloppy Joes and Green Beans

Friday

Veggie English Muffin Pizzas and Salad

Saturday

Crock-pot Rotisserie-Style Chicken, Green Beans, Scalloped Potatoes

Sunday

Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Grapes, Baked Chips

All images courtesy of kraftfoods.com

Lexington $229,900: 305 Carola Lane [OPEN HOUSE 5/22]

2532 square feet hold 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths.  This is a wonderful home the desirable Woodcreek neighborhood.  This home has it all-Hardwoods, ceramic tile, and solid surface counters. Except for the tiled kitchen, all of the main floor is hardwoods. The enormous master suite has two walk-in closets, double vanity, and a whirlpool tub. Hardwoods have been refinished and all carpet replaced. A termite bond and home warranty are included.

Foyer Lamps

My humble abode probably isn't fancy enough to call the entry a "foyer."  If it comes close, it is definitely a foy-yer and not a foy-yay.  We love that nothing in our house is too valuable.  Our favorite pieces were either inherited or found on clearance.

It is like Christmas when my mother-in-law cleans out the attic.  She lets me search through her Goodwill-bound items for new treasures!  In the last purge, I picked up a pair of great lamps.  I still haven't gotten good at documenting everything for the blog, and I forgot to take "before" pictures.

They were ornate gold leaf similar to this:

image courtesy of "Eclectic Revisited by Maureen Bower"

I get made fun of for thinking that all problems can be solved by a can of spray paint, and the problem of these lamps was no different.  My go-to Kilz Primer, a can of Valspar in Dark Grey, and two white rectangular lamp shades from Target ($12.99 each) were all it took to give these pieces a new start.  I think they like their makeover!

I love "BuyDay Friday" entries that are based on free items! 

GIVEAWAY!

My Facebook page needs more "likes" so that it can be an actual business page... 13 more to be exact.  If you "like" my Facebook page between now and May 31, you will be entered to win a $25 Target gift card, complete with a reusable tote!  You will receive an extra entry if you follow this blog.

It's easy to do and only takes a second.  You can use the link in the top left corner of this blog, or you can search for my page on Facebook.com.  There will be many more giveaways, and you'll be entered for each just by liking the page.  Thanks guys and dolls :)

What to Wear to Girls' Weekend in Miami

Five of my dearest friends from High School and I are meeting up in Miami in a month for a girls' weekend.  Since I try to protect privacy, we'll see if we can do mostly nicknames

From top left to bottom right: Jamie, JAH, Figgy, Me, 

Boo, Hil (sadly will miss trip), and Shelly in 2007

We wanted to go to someone's hometown since it would be cheaper.  Figgy lives in Miami where she works as a physical therapist.  She is so sweet to host us.  I can't wait!  A time together to catch up is long overdue.  I was able to go to Jamie's baby shower in 2009, but I missed Jamie's and Shelly's weddings in 2010 because I was too pregnant to travel.

I think that we are lucky to keep in touch as well as we do.  Before I sold real estate, I traveled as a consultant and had a contract near JAH.  I saw her every month.  Since I changed my career, she has been sweet enough to travel to me.  She comes for almost a week about every three months.  And Figgy completed a PT rotation in Charlotte, NC last year, so I saw her a few times during that.  I wish that we could all see each other more, and we are hoping to make this trip an annual occurrence.

Now for the point of this post: What to Wear!  Miami in June is going to be HOT!  Here is outfit #1.

Old Navy drawstring short, $19.50
Straw Tote, $14.99
Dolce Vita for Target® Cork Wedge Sandals, $29.99
Merona Collection Callie Tunic Top, $29.99

Total: $94.47

Tip Tuesday: Liven Up a Wall with Stripes

I was sick on Mother's Day, so we didn't get to do the landscaping project that I had requested for my gift.  Instead, I asked that we paint the foyer and hallway a different color.  When we moved in, we painted every wall in the house.  We haven't gotten to the trim in every room, but each wall has been painted.  The dining room and the guest room that became the nursery have each been painted twice.  Now it's the hallway's turn for paint job numero dos.

It's really only going from a very bluish shade of grey to a neutral grey.  The win for me, thanks to Mother's Day, is that my husband agreed to paint stripes on an accent wall.  He has been fighting stripes for years.  I begged for them in the nursery, then the dining room.  A no-go so far.  There are two coats of the first color on the wall, and we should be on to painting the stripes tomorrow and Thursday.  We'll see how that goes.  They may wait until the weekend.  Our 8 month old little girl took her first two steps last night, and we sat with her for hours trying to get her to do it again.  If there is anymore baby excitement, painting will definitely be put on the back burner :)

Below is a video from DIY network.  We'll post before and after pictures when our wall is finished.

Lexington $399,000: 249 Cumberland Drive [OPEN HOUSE 5/15]

Come view this lovely 3750 square foot home in desirable Carriage Hill Lakes. This home sits on a pond and boasts a beautiful landscaped half acre corner lot with a pool & jacuzzi. It has five bedrooms and three bathrooms, with an in-law suite on the main level. Huge 700sq. ft. FROG -sep hvac zone, w/ closet. Huge master suite with tray ceiling.  The master bath is complete with a garden tub, separate shower, and double vanity.  All these extras and more: plantation shutters throughout, hardwood in living areas, gas fireplace in family room, tile kitchen with granite counter tops, island, double oven, smooth surface cook top, patio, screened back porch, irrigation system, fence in back, large generator, new roof in 2006, new pool heater in 2010, tankless water heater, new carpet 2010, new paint.

SOLD! Lexington, Close to Schools

This Cape Cod-style home has 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths in almost 1800 square feet.  It is located in a cul-de-sac in a cute neighborhood across from an award-winning Lexington District I elementary school.  I sold this home on May 3rd to an adorable couple who were purchasing their first home.  First-time buyers are some of my favorite clients, and this couple was beyond excited.  It was my pleasure to be able to help them during this important time in their lives.  Enjoy the photos courtesy of Realtor.com!