Happy Monday!!!

Why so happy? Because I had a party over the weekend (a belated Cinco de Mayo) and my girlfriend brought a platter of these...

Argentine Alfajores, Dulce de Leche cookies by Buenos Angie's.  OMG is all I can say.

Happy May Day!

Gotta love the fresh look of baby's breath.  I like to hang this basket on our arbor gate when company is coming.  Tuck in a take out soup container with water and fill with your favorite flower. Perfect for May Day!

a simple welcome basket

Birch branches and pear blossoms in a tall basket are simply a fresh welcome for anyone coming up the walkway to your door. Loving the green against the blue/grey door.

Finished Bathroom...finally!

I know we are slow moving, but oh well, it's the price we pay for doing everything ourselves.  We are all enjoying our new bathroom very much. Here are some pictures of the (95%) complete space.

With some inspiration from our trip to France (which I can't believe was 1 year ago!).

The color on the walls and furniture is very close to the paint color in the home we rented in the french countryside.  The rustic variations in the flooring reminds us of the gorgeous stone seen everywhere around France.

 Baskets to hide the bandaids, tissue box and other bathroom essentials.

Photos taken in Paris and framed in rustic grey barn wood frames add some color to our neutral walls.

The dresser which was given to me by a special friend has been made over using Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint as our vanity.

My husband made a new top for it to hold the greige marble sink.

More on the paint finish in a future post.

Another tribute to our trip!

I am having fun with the accessories in here.

These previously pewter sconces also received special treatment to match the oil rubbed bronze faucet.

I also painted the shades! more on that to come.

A favorite photo turned canvas giclee in a barn wood frame. 

Hope you enjoyed the tour of our new bathroom space all done on a tight budget. 

The details with some how-to and resources will be posted soon!

Have a great week!

Linking up to Jennifer Rizzo's Creative Friday

Bathroom progress

It's coming along! Floor is in. Vanity almost complete:)

Bathroom Inspiration

I can't believe my last post was on Christmas Eve. Christmas seems like sooo long ago. So on to the next house project. Just a few days after Christmas my husband ripped out the first floor bathroom in our home which was long overdue.  I wanted to share with you a little inspiration board I made showing the look we are going for.

1. The floor! I've had this photo saved in my inspiration folder for such a long time and I don't have the source. If anyone knows it - please let me know! I loved the different colors and the pattern of this tile. I just finished laying out the pattern on my den floor. Can't trust the husband with the pattern job :)

2. I have had the perfect dresser in mind to turn into a vanity, I especially loved the wood counter. Not practical I know, but I'm going to make sure we use a really good sealer on top.
photo source: sweet pickins blog

3. Have always wanted a stone vessel sink like these- out of the price range though! But we did find a good second at a great price.

4. This is the exact faucet we purchased - like an old water spout in tuscan bronze by Price Pfister.

5. The walls have been painted in one of my favorite neutrals - Benjamin Moore Annapolis Gray.

6. Don't you love a hutch in the bathroom? Some great storage. I have a much smaller version that I am refinishing. Courtney's has been one of my favorites! photo credit: french country cottage

So, this weekend the tile will go in - before the super bowl starts of course!

If I feel up to it, I may even share the horrid before photos!

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Christmas Wishes

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Decorating (simply done this year), shopping (mostly online), wrapping (with many little helpers), baking (thanks to my daughter), done. Now to start cooking!  Enjoy!