Slow Down, December!

While this blog has been severely neglected, the house and yard have not, so much so that I'm actively looking for another property. There's not much inventory in the area, which means continued patience. However, the other blog has received much more attention this past year, but since this is my public forum, the following is my very public plea: SLOW DOWN, DECEMBER!

The holidays are so special to me and my family. We don't go overboard, we don't travel to an exotic location, we don't even go near the mall, but we do have our own favorite (somewhat odd) family traditions. And this year we have TyTy!!! So it was with great JOY we celebrated Thanksgiving Day with turkey and trimmings, Visiting Day dressed up and sipping wine with friends (and of course oysters). But then it was over. Just like that--over. All the cooking, the music, the DIY projects, all the laughing till we cry (mostly at the DIY projects). Done.

I don't want this Christmas to pass just as fast. I want to savor every minute with my family, friends, and my super cute house guest---every cheesy parade and misdirected pageant, every loud party and naughty gift exchange, every Santa's lap, poorly sung carol, stolen tree, obnoxious light display, fake snowflake, and cheap bottle of eggnog. And mostly, I just want to show and share everything I love about this time of year with TyTy (except the eggnog). 

With props to Simon & Garfunkel and "The 59th Street Bridge Song"

SLOW DOWN, DECEMBER! You move too fast!

I've heard good things about a fat man dressed in red.

It's a Shabby Thing (or Defacing the Hemnes)

Shabby Chic is all the rage, especially with coastal decor. Unfortunately, my retro living room and terrazzo floors just weren't jibing with the classic white beach style that has pervaded the rest of the house.

Harbor Farm had hardwood floors stained in a deep espresso. The Ikea Hemnes living room collection complemented those floors and the West Indies style that ran through the farmhouse, but not so much at Trading Up.

I spent a little time researching how to distress (think destroy) perfectly good Ikea furniture and came across a blog called 'I Love Rehabs'. Jennifer's ideas for her Ikea Lack coffee table inspired my project and Miss Mustard Seeds Milk Paint webpage helped bring the look to completion. 

Here's how it was done...

Start with one perfectly innocent Ikea coffee table...

Cut linear grooves across the horizontal surfaces to mimic the look of planks...

Use milk paint to cover any dark stain...

Let milk paint do its thing...

Add any amount of additional destruction you desire...

...and voila!

Kitchen Mini-Remodel (the Christmas Project)

My family believes it wouldn't be Christmas without having to slave over reno projects. This year we kept the tradition going with a mini-remodel in the kitchen. Despite an open house on Christmas Day, a week of culinary prowess, and a few electrical issues (no one was hurt), this project came together pretty well.

Before - Dark with Weird Drop-Ceiling Feature (i.e., the Headbanger)

Before - Hello? Is anyone back there?

After - Bright and Open

After

For those that like to see the "during" shots...