House Tour- Kitchen

***Our house tour page is in desperate need of an update.  This will be good for those of you new around these parts.  I’m going to try to do a room a week.  This way those of you that have been reading for awhile won’t be horribly bored…and I’m a giant slacker and a room a week is about my pace these days.  But really it’s for the readers.***

Introducing our kitchen, 2012 style.

Room Info

• Wall color: Svelte Sage (Sherwin Williams)
• Cabinets: Woodland/Provincial doors/Ivory
• Island Pendants: Barn Light Electric Bermuda Pendants/Satin Steel
• Stools:  HomeMakers
• Granite: Epic stone/Black
• Fridge: GE profile, french door
• Cook top: Whirlpool
• Oven/microwave: GE
• Dishwasher: Bosch
• Kitchen Table: Built It
• Kitchen chairs:  World Market Jackson Tub Chair
• Wood Floor:  BR-111 Brazilian Cherry

One of the challenging things of being your own contractor is completing all of those finishing details. We were so burnt out for awhile that we just ignored things like unfinished trim work.  Once we regained some energy, we added the bead board to the island and crown molding to the cabinets.  I was super lucky and won a great giveaway from Barn Light Electric which allowed us to replace our too small pendant lights.  We still have plans for a backsplash.  I’m also on a hunt for the perfect kitchen stools which will better allow me to watch Nate cook supper.

I like looking back on the progress we’ve made in the kitchen.

This concludes the tour of our kitchen.  Now I want a snack…

If you’re really bored, feel free to vote for our bedroom over at BHG.  Click here!  It’s an easy vote.  You’re the best!

I Want a Rain Barrel

I worry about myself sometimes.  Okay, all of the time. 

Like yesterday when the toilet bowl cleaner that contained bleach slipped from my hands as I was going down the stairs.  There are now a few bleach spots on the stairs and my new shirt is also bleached.  Amazing.  I am never cleaning toilets again.

Or the other night when I was watering flowers.  I was thinking to myself that a rain barrel would be super helpful beings I am watering my flowers EVERY STINKING NIGHT.  At least I would be using a natural source of water.

via gardeners.com

And then I remembered that the reason I am watering is because we are in a drought and rain barrels aren’t exactly helpful without rain. 

Yeah.  My $100,000 education will only get me so far.

Nate isn’t pro-rain barrel.  He thinks they are for hippies.  I’m a wanna-be hippy.  Hippies are awesome.

On another water/yard related note, I finally talked Nate into moving our sprinklers.  (See, Nate is no hippy.  He waters our yard. Just not well.) 

He wouldn’t listen to me when I told him that the reason we have a dead spot in our yard is probably because it isn’t getting watered.  Upon further investigation, I was proven correct.  I just don’t get why he wouldn’t listen to me originally.  Oh yeah, the rain barrel thing.

Our poor yard.  I like having the blog as a diary of sorts.  This will help me remember the hotness and driest summer ever.  It thundered a lot the other night.  No rain.  Poor yard.

Do you have a rain barrel?  Where’d you get it?  Who is ready for some rain?  Who loves when they can prove their husband wrong?  (To clarify, that’s totally not me.)

Stylelist Home Feature

A couple of weeks ago I received an e-mail from the editor of Stylelist Home.  She wanted to know if they could feature our home and do a short interview.

I really didn’t know much about Stylelist Home before I received the e-mail.  The site has great decorating and DIY tips.  They have previously featured bloggers like Emily A. Clark and Hi Sugarplum. 

After freaking out, I agreed to the interview.  A phone interview from New York City, none the less.  I’m so glad I did.  Shana was really easy to talk with and she handled my awkwardness with ease.  Come to find out, their readers love articles containing pets.  Ike steals the show again!

The article was posted yesterday.  You can read it here!

Look at the stylish fluffy dog.  The fame has totally gone to his head.  As you read this, he is wearing a silk robe and talking to agents.

This interview was a great experience for me.  There was a lot of self doubt.  A lot of “my house is not good enough”.  My blog is “not good enough.”  A lot of “this is way beyond my comfort zone.”  I can’t do a phone interview.  I’m too awkward and don’t think well on the spot.  But I did it.  And I enjoyed it.  Who cares if I don’t have the best house or the best blog?  I’m proud to call both of them mine! 

This blog has brought me so many fun opportunities.  Thanks to all of you that read and encourage my nonsense!!

Are you a Stylelist Home fan?  

Arrow Obsession

I have a mind blowing addition to our powder room to share with you today.  Apartment Therapy is going to be all over this stuff.

I have a recent obsession with arrows.  I don’t know why.  It’s a weird Michelle thing.  (Along with many others.)

I found this little wooden arrow at Michael’s.  I grabbed my trusty red spray paint and got to work.  I painted it with lots of cardboard underneath.  Our driveway is still recovering from my red nutcracker painting.  Oops.  Sorry, driveway.

It might seem a little small now but there are plans for crown molding and a new window treatment.  Someday. 

Nate wanted to point the arrow down.  Boys. 

I think I will paint our mirror red….when I find the perfect one.  The one we have now is too small.  It was purchased pre-understanding of spatial arrangement.  Not that I really get it now.  But sort of. 

Yes, the light plate still needs fixed.  We don’t want to rush things around here.

Have you made any little but big changes lately?  Anyone digging arrows? 

Navy Rug Obsession

My newest obsession is a new rug for our living room.  I love obsessions.  They keep me entertained during slow work days.  You can send my Pharmacist of the Year award directly to my home.  Thanks.



Do I need a new rug?
 
Hmm...define "need.” Nate says "no."  But he's also a fun hater so take that for what it's worth.  For the record, he really hates my obsessive personality.  I told you.  He’s a fun hater.

We are starting to think about putting in built-ins around the fireplace...which will lead to a room transformation.  I'm digging navy lately.  I think it will add a little color to a very neutral room.  Plus our current rug is too small for the space.  I think it's very pretty.  Just small-ish.  I also have decorating ADHD.

I know some of you like to day dream about rugs too so I'll share my current loves.  Feel free to enable me all you want.  I really am just day dreaming at this point.  I’m trying to be less impulsive with my decorating purchases.  It’s hard.  Real hard.  Super hard.  Need medication hard.
Let’s drool together.

This rug is probably my favorite.  Naturally it would be over $1000.  Dream big, little pharmacist.  Dream big.
 

Source: overstock.com via Michelle on Pinterest

This one speaks to me.  It’s a moody rug.  Kind of like me Nate.

Source: homedecorators.com via Michelle on Pinterest

This rug speaks me too.  I’m going to add “bilingual” to my resume.  Second language: rugs.

Source: rugsusa.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I wish rugs were less expensive.   Darn rugs.   This rug has a nice simple yet interesting vibe going on.

Source: potterybarn.com via Michelle on Pinterest

What are you day dreaming about?  Any other fantastic navy rug suggestions for me?  Who are my fellow obsessive personality blog readers?

Gruesome Rug

I love thrifting.  Especially when I find awesome things.

This past week-end Nate and I headed out with my family.  I really didn’t have anything on my “must find” list.  That’s usually when I get in trouble.

On our last stop I spotted a beautiful rug.  The colors spoke to me.  Rugs speak to you too, right?  I was expecting it to be pricey but thought I’d check.  $30.  What the what?  No stains.  No rips.  No weird makings.

Just animals killing other animals.  Oh my.  Gruesome.  My brother gave me his seal of approval once he saw the carnage.

I don’t know what says “Welcome to Our Home” more than Ligers (they’re mythical) attacking gazelles.

I like how it plays well with the Macademia color in the entry and the Smoky Blue in the dining room.  It was meant to come home with me.

It’s missing a little fringe on the ends but I think it gives it even more character.  Ike agrees.

Any fabulous thrift finds recently?  Do items with animal attacks have good feng shui?

West Elm Inspired Bedframe

The following is an actual conversation from a Thursday night.

Michelle:  "Wanna build a bedframe this week-end?"

Nate: “Grumble. Grumble.”

Michelle: “Ike, Nate is being a Grouch-a-saurus-rex again today.  Guess we’ll have to continue to live with our ugly bed skirt.”

The next day I come home to SketchUp drawings of a bedframe on the computer.  I started jumping up and down.  Nate pretended to grumble while I knew deep down he was pumped for another furniture build.  We headed to Lowe’s where we spent ~$50.  One week-end later we had a simple and beautiful bedframe.

We think it pairs well with our DIY Window headboard.

It’s crazy how $50 worth of wood can class a place right up.

I’m linking this baby on up to the ol’ Pinterest challenge tomorrow.  This beauty of a bedframe was inspired by a West Elm bedframe that no longer exists.  Luckily, my pin lives forever.

Source:

westelm.com

via

Michelle

on

Pinterest

We’ll be back on Wednesday with the how-to. We’ve slept on it for over a week and haven’t fallen through so we feel safe sharing how we built it.  Nate even got all fancy with SketchUP.  Deep down he likes being married to a blogger.

Are you a fellow bed skirt hater?  Whose spouse secretly likes being married to a blogger? 

Double Shower Curtain

If you’ve been reading awhile, you know that I’ve struggled finding the right shower curtain for our guest bathroom.  The room is long and narrow with high ceilings.  There is also a shortage of cute shower curtains in the world.

I think I solved my design dilemma. I went with a double shower curtain and I like it.  If you don’t, please keep your opinions to yourself or I will virtually slap you.

Wait, let’s start over.  Good morning/afternoon/evening.  Welcome to Décor and the Dog!  I just updated my guest bathroom!

(Also don’t tell me to rip up my cheap linoleum floor (previous comment).  It’s tile.  It was installed 3 years ago.  It photographs more tan than it appears in person.  It wouldn’t be my first choice today but life goes on.)

Wait, what.  Again…good morning/afternoon/evening…

The rug is the Olin runner from Crate and Barrel. The shower curtains are actually just plain ol’ curtains.  They are the Target Home Farrah Fretwork Window Panels in black.  The curtain rod is the Zenith Double Tension Shower Rod from Bed Bath and Beyond. 

The curtain rod was not easy to install.  You were supposed to be able to twist and install.  We’re still unsure how you twist with two rods.  The rods kept moving and lacked tension.  Luckily the curtain rod had the option to screw it into the wall.  And that’s what Nate did…while I Instagrammed (a verb) him.

When I originally saw the double shower curtain idea on Pinterest, I was confused as to how you showered without getting water all over the floor.  There’s a gap in your shower curtain.

Where does the liner go?   A double rod!  That’s genius!  Sometimes it’s hard having a doctorate…

Ike thinks the double shower curtain is for easy dog access.

Guess he’s right!

This room is by no means done.  We need to figure something out with that giant mirror.  Overall I’m happy with the decisions we made when building our house.  I’m not so happy with our builder grade mirror decision.  I’d love to rip it down but that’s not exactly an inexpensive/easy fix.  We’ll see.  I think we have some plans for some moldings in here as well.  Maybe new light fixtures?  And of course art…and some color!  But we’re making progress!

Was anyone else previously confused by the double shower curtain? Who feels virtually threatened by this post?  Who thinks I have a problem with black and white bathrooms?  Yeah, me too.  It’s a sickness.

Flag Bunting

Nate, Ike and I spent our long week-end helping my little brother paint his kitchen cabinets.  Well, Ike didn’t paint.  He was on guard dog duty.

Even though we weren’t home, I was pretty excited to display our new flag bunting for Memorial Day.

I’m not really a fan of the word “bunting” but this flag bunting is just too charming.  I can’t stop drooling over it.  I almost put my car in the ditch each time I drive by.  I’m a good driver.

I purchased it from Amazon (here).  I love Amazon’s two day shipping. I decide I want a flag bunting three days before we are to leave for a long week-end.  Two days later I have my pretty little flag bunting to hang.  Nate was pretty excited about hanging it.  He was.  Seriously.

The view from the inside is fun too.  Ike noticed it from the upstairs landing at 5:30 the morning after we hung it.  He proceeded to bark at it.  He doesn’t mess around with guard dog duty.  Or messing the rug up duty.  (Yes, I still have a berry Christmas wreath up.  Classy.)

Did you display the ol’ stars and stripes this week-end?  Is your dog as observant as the Ike man?  Any lingering winter decorations around your parts?

Organization Baby Steps

Last week I shared with you my chalkboard painted pantry doors. 

I decided to try something new in my life.  I followed the directions on the paint can.  Weird.  I waited the three days before writing on the chalkboard.  It was hard.  But I did it.

I also “seasoned” the chalk paint with a layer of white chalk.  (I rubbed the side of the chalk all over the chalkboard paint.)  This helps to prevent your writing from being permanently etched into your paint.  Worked like a charm.

Why did I paint the insides of the pantry doors?

 Doodling would be fun but I really needed something to get our house in order.  I’m on a slow organization spree.

I needed a place to list out what’s in our freezer and what leftovers are growing things in the fridge.  I also needed a place to hang our grocery list. Done!

Do you like how I put the Raisin Nut Bran front and center so you all think that I eat healthy? It may be hiding Reese’s Puffs and Lucky Charms.  You’ll never know.

I also listed the healthy stuff in our freezer first.  I did that mainly to trick myself into eating healthy by reading the “good for me” stuff first.  But also so you all think that I eat healthy.  Read further. You will change your mind.  Girl Scout cookies anyone?

I needed a spot to hang our weekly grocery list.  I made a list about a year that contains our most commonly purchased items.  It is organized according to their location in the Target aisles. (I need to redo it though because Target moved stuff around.  The nerve.)  During the week, we mark off the items the we run out of/think we will need.  Having the list organized by aisles makes grocery shopping a little easier.  We used to go from one end of the store to the other because we would forget one or two important items.  Now the items are grouped together!  I have enough lists printed for 1 month and they are proudly displayed in the pantry instead of shoved into the junk drawer.

We are trying to work things like Cheese Whiz and Teddy Grahams out of our diet. Baby steps.  Our grocery cart was very healthy this week.  I did hear something about the world ending.

I’m still debating on how to use the bottom panels. I think I may use them for meal planning…and doodling.  

There you have it.  Baby steps towards kitchen organization.  Sharing my pantry and grocery list feels a little like showing my underwear drawer…very personal.  (P.S. I did just organize my underwear drawer and it’s been life changing. But there are some things that will never make this blog!)

How do you keep track of what’s hanging out in your freezer?  Any great grocery list tips?  Meal planning strategies?  Any organization that you won’t share on your blog?

Like this post?  Read about our tidy kitchen tips!  Also check out our DIY/Projects page!