An Update on the Update...

 As January slowly winds to a close and we spend cold days inside our cozy home, I am taking down and packing away the remaining winter decorations that adorn my house. I thought it would be a good time to show you what I've accomplished this past year on our updating projects....not much.  But each project my husband and I tackle (we've been watching ALOT of football in this boy-full home lately) feels like they make monumental differences.  Maybe because we live with the old style so long, it just feels so good when we finally make a change!

 I've featured this pic several times because it really is one of my favorite small scale/big impact projects I've done.  It's in the kitchen eat in area, but you can see it from the front entry, and through our large window out front so that you can even see it as you drive up and walk up to the house.  The basket is also for homework and papers due during the week, so it's really functional too.  I love typography, vintage and new made letters and metal/wire baskets, so this combines so much of what I love; plus the sentiment is what it's all about for me:  home sweet home.

Here is the infamous wallpaper in the bathroom inside our laundry room.  It was a shock to my system and was one of the first things to go.  One day last winter when I just couldn't take it anymore, I peeled if all off.  Then in the fall, I sold the brown storage stand and....

The reveal!~I am just so happy with the how the color turned out on the walls.  It is Brook Trout from the Martha Stewart collection at Home Depot, which we had color matched for the Behr paint my husband loves so much.  The cabinet is one I purchased from my mom at the fall 2011 Funky Junk show.  She had acquired it from our friend and fellow junker Ann Caster.  Mom painted it, distressed it and added the mirrored birds.  I just adore how it looks; and how it hides my bathroom necessities so prettily!

 I still have my white painted antique frame perched on the 1970's vanity, which serves us fine for now.  The simple metal and mirror storage actually has grown on me. 

 I love, love the Windex bottle my mom gave me last December for my birthday, quite a find!

 And my old soaps in their amazing graphic packages (did I mention I love old advertising, packing and graphics!!) are in a vintage metal sink container, also a find from Ann.  I do miss that lady.

The only projects left to do in this room are to either build or repurpose a wood cabinet around the great sink and replace the faucet, or to replace the sink with an entirely new vanity set. What do you think?

Oh, and obviously replace the flooring (which to my dismay, extend all through the kitchen and eating area).  Flooring in the entire house (except for the four bedrooms my darling mom got us new carpet for as housewarming gift) is our number 1 priority. Just is also the most expensive, disruptive and labor and time intensive, so it keeps getting pushed down the list.

 Moving up to my master bedroom, I had this chalkboard and white painted antique frame left from my last show, and I decided it would be perfect to frame the lovely 2012 calendar from the talented Barbara Schriber, also from the fall show!  http://www.barbaraschriberdesigns.com.

 One of Mark and my favorite projects this past year has been our chalkboard wall in our eat in kitchen area.  We framed out the entire painted wall with old wood rulers (another fav. collection of mine)...

 ...as well as the all house retro radio/speaker command center in the middle of the wall.  I post our weekly schedule old school style in chalk so there is no missing what's up for the week.

 In our TV room, the MOST distressful (not distressed, which would be a good thing) room of all, I have a collection of all white vintage E's.  We've added another large lower case "e" since this picture, thanks to http://www.funkyjunkjennifer.blogspot.com.  We also have had a few brainstorms for the room which we will be super excited to start on and showcase later this year. We hope.

 My kitchen/eating area has a wall that is shared with the living room, and for now, I like the wall.  I don't enjoy not being able to join in conversations during get-togethers, but the wall holds three large cabinets of storage space and for now, that is priceless.  It also is the perfect space to display some of my favorite vintage finds, like this sign...

and this green antique shelf filled with some of my favorite kitchen collection items.

Our floor to ceiling rock fireplace, which apparently you can spray with water and it will grow moss, is loved by some and not by others. Thankfully we love it because it is a home improvement project far too large for now. I have three E's on the three ledges and rotate out decorations depending on my mood and the season. The best part of the fireplace?...

A real fire warming our holidays and winter nights...

~Hollie