light canopy

a couple of weekends back, T and i finally tackled a long-awaited to-do (even longer than our pipe shelving diy) - the light canopy for our back patio! we made one in our first place together but it broke after several months. the squirrels at our old place chewed through the wiring and the winds snapped the wooden poles. we learned a lot of lessons with our first canopy and couldn't wait to have a re-do with this project a second time around. 

[first lesson to use: thicker wooden beams and instead of concrete poured into the ground, it is poured into buckets that can be moved or thrown out]

[our favorite mosquito deterrent and all natural, aka the true mvp of this project]

once the concrete was poured, beams set and leveled, T drilled holes into the sides of buckets to help with drainage. then, we added small pebbles to cover the concrete and provide extra drainage for future planting. 

[T hanging our lights]

[second lesson to use: solar lights instead of plug-in, and fingers crossed squirrels don't attack these wires]

once the planters had settled, we added in soil, compost, and healthy citronella plants. i am all for greener solutions to keeping those pesky mosquitoes at bay. plus, as they grow, they'll fill in the rest of the buckets. win-win! 

[enjoying the fruits of our labor]

pipe shelving

you know those house projects that have been on your to-do list for a long time, but, for whatever reason, keep getting put to the back burner? our pipe shelving project in our dining room was at the tip top of that list since we'd first moved into our home. but, for loads of reasons - not enough time, not the right time, the financial commitment, etc, etc - it kept getting pushed to the wayside. 

then, at our three year home-aversary, after a recent decluttering, it felt like it was the perfect time to cross this project off our list. 

when we first moved in, we initially placed a bookshelf there, but found it cut off the room. over time, we realized it created a bottleneck effect when the pups were charging out the door, or when we had groups of friends over. plus, it never felt like it was the right fit for the space. 

[T measuring out the space]

our hopes for the shelves were to create better looking storage that could tie this wall into the sort of industrial-rustic look we have in our home. 

the result? greater than we could have ever hoped for. i could finally bring in my cookbooks so that they were in a logical place while being closer to when and where they'd be used. plus, all of our kitchen gadgets and trinkets look so much better. an added bonus was that it finally opened the room back up aka no more bottlenecking - yes!

record wall

two home projects in one month? that's right! this one took awhile to complete, but not for cost or time. i'd been trying to find the right idea for this wall since we'd moved in, but came up short time and time again (see the below two photos). nothing quite felt right, if that makes any kind of sense. but, i knew in time, i'd think of the right set up for this spot. 

what first led to the change was T and i setting up our record player and speakers in the living room. it simply had the best acoustics in the house, and only made sense for it to go there seeing as our bar was in the same room. with our ever growing music collection, i had to sort out a way to display them where they wouldn't get damaged, could stay organized, and provide ready access for our enjoyment. 

countless pinterest searches and instagram hashtags made for several months before i found the source of my inspiration (sadly, now lost). isn't that funny how ideas work? you can see so many no ideas before you need to see just one that is a yes idea.

[boba supervising my record sorting]

[clean floating shelves, ready for records]

T and i absolutely love how it came out, and just like goldilocks, it fits just right. we'll eventually refinish the wooden stereo cabinet, but for now, we are going to enjoy the fruits of our labor with (you guessed it) a few records and a cocktail. 

home improvement

it's been well over a year since our last home improvement diy, and i have to say, it feels good to work on home to-do's again. after finishing our den floor last summer, we were a little burned out on home projects. so, we put our plans on hold, and simply enjoyed our home how it was. 

then, after some time had passed, we were ready to get back into working on our home. for our first project, we tackled a living art wall. 

feeling inspired by oh joy's post, we started looking at the best room for this project to go in. i wanted the piece to be low maintenance, so the bathroom seemed to be the best fit. since air plants only need the occasional mist of water, the bathroom was just what the doctor ordered. 

[supplies]

[air plants from mexico courtesy of my grandparents]

[securing the yarn]

[first color, done]

i decided to use charcoal (to tie into the gray in our towels), and purple (as a pop of color) for my yarn colors, and i have to say, i love how it turned out! put against the blue-grey hue of the air plants, our living art wall has now become my favorite part of our bathroom. 

[hey there succulents!]

homeowners: year one

[backyard views]

it has officially been one whole year we've lived in this sweet little home of ours. and while we have only just begun making it our home, it feels all the more cozy; full of meaning and intention. even though T and i are still novices in home-ownership, we have learned a few things along the way. so, i of course thought i'd share :)

• measure, measure, and measure again: you really cannot measure enough. also, you may want to write it down in more than one place.
• making your house your home doesn't happen overnight: unless you make bank (and have no budget), save your money and take your time to find what you really like. this way, you don't needlessly spend extra funds on things that are quick fixes. 
• you will go to home depot and/or lowe's at least once more than intended and it is completely okay
• there will always be a project or area you'll want to work on: it never ends, in the best way. as you change, your needs for the house change, so you'll inevitably find a new project to work on. this is a good thing. 
• know when to diy and when to hire someone: this one will save you in the long run. there are no heros when it comes to these decisions. plus, your back will thank you. 
• messes & knicks aren't a bad thing: when something is new and fun, it's natural to want to keep it that way. messes mean a home has been lived in, loved, and cherished. that being said, you should still look after it, and maybe clean spills. 
• get a second and even third opinion: while it may feel like it is rude, it really isn't. in fact, it is completely normal, and unoffensive to companies or contractors. this truly was our lifesaver when it came to a plumbing problem that turned out to be a small inconvenience as well when our den flooded and we were initially told we'd have to tear up the whole room.     

[our well-loved kitchen]

[one of my favorite momentos + a teensy pumpkin]

[a comfy spot for someone to chew their bone]

[succulent window box]

under construction: den update

so, i realized it had been a couple of months since i'd posted an update on our den. since my last post, here's what has happened...

once the floor completely dried, T worked with our contractor to seal it. at first we weren't sure if the solution was to tear up the floor and re-do it since it had cracks in it. but, our contractor assured us that as the ground moves and the concrete ages, this is typical. plus, none of the cracks were large enough so, the best solution was to seal them up. this involved deep cleaning the floor, letting it dry, applying the sealant and keep it damp for four days to let is set properly. after that, it was primed and ready for the next step.

prior to tiling, T and i cleaned the floor of any excess sealant residue so it was ready to go. then, the hiccup came...our floor wasn't completely level. thankfully, our contractor again reassured us that this too is common and there is a very simple way to fix it (see the blue and orange plastic tags above). it just meant that it would take a little more time to complete since it had to be done in stages. 

then, once the tiling was complete, came the grouting. we found out T is pretty great at it but, it is incredibly tedious and messy so, there were lots of expletives used in the process. afterwards, we cleaned the concrete residue, our contractor sealed it and....drum roll please...here's the finished product (below)!  

i mean, how great is that?! we love it so much and couldn't be happier with how it turned out. and while i initially thought carpet was the best way to go, i'm happy T and our contractor stuck to their guns on switching to tile.

now comes decorating :)

under construction...

i'm sure most are familiar with the torrential rains OK received during the months of april and may. however, aside from a very small few, not too many we know knew our home had taken a hit. thankfully, it only caused damage to one room but, it meant that until it was resolved, we lost access to one of our favorite rooms. 

the carpet and pad - water-logged, damaged, and molded; the furniture - received no damage as we propped up what we could and moved the remaining to other rooms in the house; the underlying floor itself - readily pouring in water to relieve pressure. we went through stacks of towels (which had to be thrown out as they were destroyed after), box fans, and two shop vacs trying to slow the flow. and still, nothing helped. we couldn't soak up enough water long enough for any cement (wet or dry) to properly seal. we were at our wits end, exhausted, frustrated, and desperate. the rains wouldn't stop and, therefore, the waters kept pouring in. 

it took about a week of trying to dry damp carpet on our own before we realized it would have to go. truth be told, i got extremely emotional at this point in the process. i love this home of ours so much and to watch one of our favorite spaces get turned upside down was extremely difficult for me. i can't say it was a very pretty moment for myself or for T. but, it was a good learning lesson on how to work together in rough patches. it was also a good learning lesson on how to let the other vent and be vulnerable, while giving support. tough times have a way of teaching that :)

then, later rather than sooner, the downpour stopped and the floor finally started to dry back out. once it had, we realized we needed to get professionals involved...this meant checking out our insurance options (slim to none), speaking to our foundation company (didn't meet our warranty guidelines), and have two contractors come give us their solutions and quotes (the first - a dud, the second - our hero!). so, now that we have a real plan in place to fix it, we are also taking the opportunity to make some changes to the room. 

wish us luck as we tread new waters and make sure to keep checking in on our progress as we go along. we can't wait for you to see it when it's done!

home improvement

the last week + has been one for the books folks. between getting some projects completed around the house, having weeknight drinks with friends, dinner with family, one stellar birthday pool party + water gun fight, and a sweet wedding shower, it has been slammed. i seriously love this season and all the fun it brings. one of those recent home projects was a barn door for our bathroom! 

when we initially bought the house, i had been looking for a spot to use a sliding door but, couldn't find a doorway that jumped out at me. then, we had our halloween party and, within an hour, our bathroom pocket door came off it's track. not an emergency, so we made due with it until we could get our contractor out to inspect it. then, the sad news came...in order to fix it, he'd have to knock out the wall to fix the track itself. boo... so, we started weighing out our options. then, my initial idea for a barn door finally looked like a real solution! and so, here we are, on this week's home improvement, T and i take on the bathroom door (with some help from my dad :))

after weighing ideas for what i wanted the door to look like, i went with a couple of options put together. i wanted some way to use geometric shapes with a bright, bold color. so, after staining the door, we painted 2/3s solid, and left the latter half to be filled with triangles. 

once the gorgeous yellow paint dried, we brought it in to tape up with triangles. and for any who are curious, i did measure out the rows in advance but, free-handed the shapes. i'm not one for being too anal about that kind of stuff plus, i thought it would be fun to just wing it...and i have to say, i really love how it came out. 

[trail and error of the door hanging kit]

[the sweetest fur helper]

we'll add on a handle on either side as well as seal up the pocket door at some point but, for now, i am happy to simply have a working door/new piece of eye candy.