Thursday, August 30, 2012

Savannah's Big Girl Bedroom: Part 4

This evening Tal spent 2 hours painting the first coat of Behr's Ultra Pure White on the end tables for Savannah's bedroom makeover:





What did Savannah do?
Play with her babies in the garage...

And, yes, Savannah has paint splatters on her face... :)

Bathing Cutie

Monday, August 20, 2012

Savannah's Big Girl Bedroom: Part 3

Here's a look at Savannah's dresser for her "big girl" bedroom. On Saturday, I spent about 5 hours painting 2-4 coats of Behr's Ultra Pure White. I kept Savannah's dresser neutral since her bedroom walls and new bedding will be pink.

And, yes, I still need to buy some dresser pulls. However, neither Home Depot nor Target had 2-inch pulls, so I'll have to buy them online. :-)

After

Savannah and I also painted the sides and insides of the drawers, so they will be fresh and clean for Savannah's clothes:


Before

After Sanding

During

During

I love the picture below! In the coming years, it will be fun to remember that Savannah was 3.5 years old and as tall as her dresser when Tal and I bought it for her bedroom:

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Part of the Action

On Saturday, I spent about 5 hours painting the dresser for Savannah's bedroom. What did Savannah do?

1. Savannah helped Daddy wash our 2 vehicles:


2. Then, Savannah decided that she wanted to paint like Mommy:


She sat down next to Mommy....

...and made a watercolor painting.

3. Next, Savannah took her stool and paints outside...


...and painted next to Daddy's truck:

4. Then, Savannah asked to paint HER dresser:


Mommy gave Savannah a paint brush...

...and our big girl painted the insides of the dresser drawers!

And yes, Savannah was splattered in paint by the end of the day. :-)

Savannah's Big Girl Bedroom: Part 2

On Saturday, while I was painting Savannah's new dresser...

...Tal was sanding the end tables for her new "big girl" bedroom:

Three weeks ago, Tal and I bought these end tables at Goodwill for $20 each, which is bargain compared to the nightstands we saw for $100-$250 online and in several furniture stores. These end tables are sturdy and made of solid wood:

 In the coming weeks, I plan to paint both end tables white,
as well as spray paint or replace the hardware.
Stay tuned!

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Savannah's Big Girl Bedroom: Part 1

Over the next few months, Tal and I are going to turn Savannah's nursery into a "big girl" bedroom with new bedding, furniture, and accessories. 

Savannah desperately needs more storage space for her clothes. For several months, Tal and I have been browsing thrift stores, garage sales, and furniture stores...in hopes of finding a dresser for Savannah.

Here's a look at the dresser we bought for $75 at Goodwill two weeks ago. It wasn't cheap...but definitely cheaper than the brand-new dressers we saw for $300+ at various furniture stores. It will be perfect for Savannah's new room.

Before

This afternoon, Tal spent 2 hours using his palm sander to remove the layers of paint. In the near future, I'll be priming and painting Savannah's dresser...and then I'll be able to organize Savannah's clothes!


Sunday, August 5, 2012

Summer Projects Review

When Tal and I moved into our house 20 months ago, it was a blank canvas...with loads of potential. Over the last couple months, we've been making some simple, budget-friendly updates that infuse some color and personality into our home...while we save for big ticket items (like grass sod for our front yard, new carpet, etc.).

Here's a look at the 4 home improvement projects Tal and I completed this summer:

1. I updated our fireplace by spray painting the gold areas black:

Before

After


2. I created a picture hallway with Savannah's artwork and around 70 black-and-white family photos: 




3. Tal and I painted the backs of the built-in bookcases in our living room. We highlighted our bookcases by painting them a bold teal color that complements our living room painting and makes our white accessories pop:



4. Most recently, I painted our garage entry door a cheerful yellow to welcome family and friends:

Before

After

What's on our fall projects to-do list? Tal and I plan to transform Savannah's nursery into a "big girl" bedroom with new bedding, furniture, and accessories. One of our first projects is to sand, prime, and paint the dresser and 2 end tables that we bought at Goodwill recently. Stay tuned!

Surf's Up

Over the last week, we've been blessed to have my mom and sister visit us from Illinois. While Grandma Judy and Aunt Renee were in NC, Savannah and I snuck away with them to Wrightsville Beach for 3 days:


When we arrived on Wrightsville Beach, all of us ate shrimp and flounder for dinner at The Oceanic,
which overlooks the Atlantic Ocean:

Aunt Renee, Savannah, Grandma Judy

Grandma Judy, Me, and Savannah

After dinner, lots of surfers took advantage of the
waves as the sun was setting:

Grandma Judy, Savannah, and Aunt Renee




The 4 of us walked along the beach and
got our feet wet before it got too dark outside:



 



Playing in the ocean





Our second day at Wrightsville Beach was rainy, so we spent most of the day shopping. :-)
Thankfully, the sun came out later in the day, so we were able to play at the beach after dinner.


Check out Renee boogie boarding!












Beach Sunset


Kites at Sunset



Time to go back to our hotel!