This Girl Is On Fire.

I was spoiled this weekend! I got to see some of my very best girl friends. You know, the ones that are "like bad pennies; you just can't get rid of them!" - Teen. HA!

(sorry Gin - you blinked!)

We took a little trip to Clover Market (I won't get into the "deets" about the trip up there - because there was some weird stuff going on...). It was a BEAUTIFUL day. The food was good. The items were amazing. What was going to "only be a few hours" turned into half of a day. I should have known- when you get with these ladies, time just flies!

I have to say...there were some pretty good finds. Like this guy. I mean, who wouldn't want to take home a cat mask?

With the finds, there were some major bummers. Gin was on the hunt for a good ol' map of Mo-town - but alas, no luck.

And what did I purchase? Nothing....NOT! I am SO excited to share my new loves!

Exhibit A: Milk glass storage containers. 

Hello simple. Hello cute font (Gin!).

Hello gray lids. Hello wire clasps.

Exhibit B: DIY fence art project.

My plan is to use some paint on the edges to make some funky arrows. I'm also looking into some string, nail art to write a word of some sort or an ampersand on it. Then, my mantle can feel less "neked" and make more of a statement instead of a sad little "womp, womp".

And lastly, exhibit C. 

Our little Owen in a hipster get-up. I just couldn't pass it up. He'll look great in our hallway once completed. 

I love weekends like these. Lady time. Crafts. Spring weather. Teaching Teen the inner workings of Instagram...

HashtagCloverMarket.  

HashtagGirlTime.

HashtagCanWeHangOutAgain?  ;)

A small update.

Awhile ago, I said I was going to recover some pillows for our sofa in the sun room.

I ran into a bit of a problem (or so I thought at the time). I thought I wouldn't have enough fabric and therefore I was dragging my feet. It must be a Hoberg trait because my dad does the same thing. Turns out I enough, but boy, do I just HATE measuring and cutting. But I'm glad I did it.

I broke out good ol' Molly and got to work. I used fabric that I found for cheap at some antique shop - she said it was an old feed bag...but I'm not too sure.

And after two hours, we have this!

And the colors look nice in the room.

Here's one finished and hanging out with the other. What a difference!

And now the pair! With an onlooker attached!

Now on to tackle that hideous carpet! 

The sanding machine.

I came home from a bridal shower to this guy.

What is he doing? Well, he's sanding of course! We went out the good ol' Home Depot and got ourselves a "contractor's grade" sander and shop vac (just for you Pops...we can't have any of that "homeowner" stuff!) & Ryan went to town! Surprisingly, it wasn't near as dusty as we anticipated.

After four hours, we have this.

The Depot guy recommended 120 grit sandpaper because he said otherwise, we would grind up our walls. He was incorrect. It was WAY too fine which means we need to do it again to get ALL of the glue off. We could have used one just a tad rougher. Sure, it looks way better but not ready for paint.

A quick trip down memory lane, yes?    

Beginning: Scraping & more scraping.

Next step: Vinegar scraping to get the excess paper off.

Third Step: Sanding; round one.

After a second round of sanding, we should be ready to mud & caulk. Then after sanding those areas, we'll go ahead and rip up the rug to get to the trim (it's pretty nasty anyway), then prime & paint! Should be about another month to go...woo!

Happy Easter!

A little belated... but Happy Easter! From the looks of it, everyone seemed to enjoy a nice long weekend along with the warmer weather. Boy, Spring is just the ticket!

Ry & I had a nice relaxing weekend - it was nice that our family events were spread out this time. We spent time with the Donnelly's on Friday, the Storm's on Saturday, and the Hoberg's on Sunday.

And this guy - a heartbreaker. Isn't he just the cutest?

How did he get so big? And those lashes...

Ah! Love my nephew!

Minty.

Remember me?

Now check me out!

The room is by no means done. I'm a firm believe in "using what you have" and I take my time when it comes to the "decor" part. Here are a few things I'd like to work on this summer.

1. Find new pillows that really pull in the colors of the couch and walls OR cover existing.
2. Take out the carpet and for the time being, use the gray concrete & a bright rug.
3. Replace the "patio furniture" seen in the above photo OR spray them white.
4. Replace the fan below to a simple fan without the lights (the wiring is all wrong and it shorted out our fan).
5. Get rid of lamps (they are actually here right now to go to Goodwill..) & replace them with a nice floor lamp. I have my eye on one.
6. Paint the inside door when we do the outside of the door this spring. (It is an eyesore right now).

Even with the list, we are happy with the results so far! How fun!

I love lamp.

Has anyone noticed Target's collections lately? Hello upgrade! I've been leaving lately sweating because of all of the cute things that I want to buy but know I need to just control myself. On our snow day a few weeks ago, we went a little nuts and got just a few items on our list. Lamps.

We needed them badly (our former lamps were really an eyesore and didn't do their job- you know, providing light adequately). We left with two new lights for the living room. Let me introduce them to you.

Lamp numero uno.

Lamp numero uno lit. It sort of has a green hue. I likey.

 Lamp numero dos. 

Lamp numero dos lit.

I have my eye on a few more lamps for our bedroom & our front porch. But that will just have to wait..for now!

Almost the "end of the line."

Well, here's the latest progress in the lovely front room! We went ahead and purchased a sample can of Benjamin Moore's "Light Pistachio". Here was the test shot.

It really brightens the room and is a quiet lovely minty color. It looks great against the white too!

We both gave the color a thumbs up and I went ahead and "cut in" around the room.

I also worked hard to get a good coat down on the brick as well. It isn't done - needs some touching up in some of the little crevices but I called it a day and went ahead and cleaned up. How does the new couch look with the color? (Please ignore the ugly carpet. That will not be staying).

The trim has a fresh coat of semi-gloss latex paint as well which really brightens the room. I actually love walking into our home now. It is so cozy! Can you picture me lounging here on a summer day with the light coming in and reading a new book? Oh, I can!

A quick before....

...and after!

Check back next weekend for the completed room along with some lovely fabrics. Oh yes!