Hall Tree Love

I was recently a guest poster at my sweet friend Heather's blog, but I wanted to post it here, too since this serves as a scrapbook of our life, and now our home!

It's been just over a month since we closed on our house.  This past month was probably the busiest and most exhausting time of my life, but we've made a lot of progress and will finally move in next week!

I have so many projects in mind for our new house, and at the same time, I'm also launching my business here in Atlanta!  My future is filled with painting, organizing, and decorating, and I couldn't be more excited about that!  (I wrote that right before we closed on our house- now, it's 1 month later and I'm laughing at those words- I never want to hold a paint brush again!)  One project I started on before we closed on our house was this hall tree.  I've always dreamt of having a mudroom, and in every house that we went in, I would immediately look for a spot to create one.  So when we walked into our (now) home, I was pretty pumped that there was the perfect place right by the door.

I immediately started my search for the perfect hall tree, but I quickly found that unless you got a custom-built hall tree, they were all pretty much 40" wide.  The wall for our hall tree is 10 feet long so a 40" hall tree would just look silly and tiny on it!  The only wider ones I could find were custom made, either on Etsy or locally, and those were running for about $1,500 - No thank you!

Enter Craigslist.  By some kind of miracle, I somehow scored a custom built, solid wood hall tree, measuring 55" wide (perfect!) for $300.  I was ecstatic, considering most 40" hall trees cost more than $300!  It definitely needed some fresh paint and new hinges and hooks, and I was happy to give it the facelift it needed.  One coat of Zinsser Smart Prime and two coats of Cabinet Coat later, as well as replacing the brass hardware with brushed nickel, and it's looking as good as new!  (I would highly recommend both of those paints- Cabinet Coat is incredible at self-leveling to hide brush strokes.)

Before

And after!

Then came the fun part- styling! 

We Moved to Atlanta! And Bought a House!

I've been MIA around here for months now, but I'm back with some pretty exciting news!  We moved back to Atlanta and just bought our first house!!!

We just closed on Friday and immediately started working on it.  There's a lot of painting in our future! Now that I'll have all of these fun projects to write about, you'll be seeing more of me around here.  

It feels so good to be back home! 

Client Living Room / Bathroom Reveal!

I'm so excited to finally post these pictures! It only took me about 2 weeks to redecorate my client's living room and bathroom, but we had to wait another 2 weeks for a custom frame to come in. (Speaking of, if you ever need a custom frame, go to Hobby Lobby! Their price was less than half the price of Michael's!) I had the absolute best time working with this client- we chatted just about every day and had so much fun working together. So I was thrilled when she told me that she wanted me to redecorate her kitchen and son's room next! Let the fun continue! Anyways, here's her brand new living room and bathroom!

Nellie loves her new living room, too :) I absolutely love this dog. She was in training to become a guide dog but failed her test because she couldn't stop wagging her tail. How sweet is that? It all worked out because this lovely family adopted her and now she lives such a happy life! 

Nellie, in her permanent belly rub position :)

Hello February!

Let's review January, since this is a journal of our lives. We must document the good and the bad! And unfortunately, January was pretty much all bad. (I usually try to keep this blog happy and positive...this post is neither of those- just warning you :)

Week 1- The day after we got back to California from spending Christmas in Atlanta, I found out that my car needed a new battery and starter. There goes $500! 

Week 2- We said goodbye to our sweet Deucie, and on the same day, found out that Pep has diabetes. A very expensive diagnosis, but luckily a manageable disease.

Week 3- On my way to a client's home, I was in a wreck that shut down the 405. A truck swerved to the right, causing one car to spin off the highway. Then he swerved in front of us across all 5 lanes and flipped over in the HOV lane. The car to the right of me swerved to avoid hitting the truck and smashed into me. It was absolutely terrifying, but thankfully everyone was okay. The damage was limited to the front right corner of my car, so I figured I would have my car back in 2 weeks tops.

Flipping the truck back over

My wheel was completely bent in

Still Week 3- One night, I found a lump on Maisy (In the past 2 years, she's had 3 surgeries to have lumps/tumors removed- only 1 was cancer.) So I just knew that she would be having yet another surgery the next day. But the next morning when I was about to take her to the vet, I couldn't find the lump! It was gone! I think God knew that I was this close to my breaking point, so he shrunk it overnight :)

Week 4- I found out that my car was totaled- I was definitely not expecting this news at all. Granted, my car was now 10 years old, but I loved my car and planned on driving it until it died. I'd had it since I was 16 and I was not ready to part with it. So this began the week of car shopping, and eventually I decided on this little beauty (with a little beauty in the back seat!)

I love my Nissan Rogue! 

So the day after I got my car, I had to drive to my client's house who I was going to when I got in my wreck. I was so anxious about it. Guess what was on the highway? A LADDER. Yes, a ladder was in the middle of the lane next to me, but luckily I avoided the swerving cars. And guess what happened the next day on my way to another client's home? I was driving down the 5, and a rock hit my brand new windshield and put 2 little cracks in it. 

And that pretty much summed up January. 

Thankfully, besides getting a stubborn cold, February has been much easier on us all. Hoping and praying that it continues this way! I've been decorating a client's living room and bathroom, and I cannot wait to show y'all the final pictures! Here's a sneak peek of the bathroom.

PS- Have you seen the amazing giveaway that we're doing? Head on over here to enter to win $245 worth of awesome products!

Valentine's Giveaway!

What's better than a Valentine's giveaway that includes one of my absolute favorite products? How about a Valentine's giveaway with nine of my favorite bloggers and all of THEIR favorite products too?!

That's right- we've put together a Products We Love to Love giveaway for ONE lucky winner! The entire giveaway is valued at $245!

Check out what you can win:

Gorgeous Red Wrap Necklace

Gold Arrow Ring

Rodan and Fields Foaming Sunless Tan

Arbonne's Nourishing Daily Conditioner

"I'm So Tired" t-shirt from Hello Apparel 

Sterling Silver Bow Bracelet from Monica at Vintage Stamp Jewels

Pampered Chef Ice-Cream Scoop and Chocolate Caramel Sauce

Bath and Body Works 3-wick Stress Relief Candle

Smashbox Wonder Vision Eye Set in Flash

Mabel's Labels Basic Kit

$10 Target Gift Card

 $5 Starbucks Gift Card

Valentine's Day DVD

Meet Your Hostesses:

1. Heather @ Notes from the Nelsens

I'm an Atlanta native who married my high school sweetheart six years after we started dating and six months after we graduated from Furman and Clemson (GO TIGERS!). We bought our first home back in 2010 and renovated the entire house before moving in. We have a golden retriever puppy named Tally and look forward to adding "real" kids to our family in the future. :)

Heather is giving away the Bath and Body Works 3-wick Stress Relief Candle.

2. Mel @ The Larson Lingo

I'm a California girl, born & raised! I love Jesus, wine, coffee, photography & throwing parties. Target is my Happy Place. I am a part time 7th grade math teacher and have been teaching for 10 years. I just recently became an Independant Consultant for Rodan + Fields. I have been married to Kevin for 11 years and we have 3 sweet kids. Kate is 7, Claire is 5 and our baby boy Luke is 17 months old.
Mel is giving away the Rodan and Fields Foaming Sunless Tan.

3. Elizabeth @ E, Myself, and I

I am a wife to my high school sweetheart Jeff, momma to two-year-old Sam, and English teacher to 75 ninth, tenth, and eleventh graders.  In my "free time" I moonlights as a blogger at E, Myself, and I where I chronicles my journey into adulthood and my attempts at salvaging a tiny bit of my former “Type A” self. I write about being a working mom, teaching, organizing, decorating, party planning, and The Bachelor, and I'm not afraid to laugh at myself when necessary. I am passionate about connecting women and helping them find freedom in living their real lives with grace, humor, and a strong cup of coffee.
Elizabeth is giving away "I'm So Tired" t-shirt from Hello Apparel.

4. Megan @ m for love

I'm the mama, wife and writer behind the lifestyle blog m for love. When you visit, you can expect to find pieces of our life, laughter, love, and faith (Oh, and a bit of fashion for good measure.)
Megan is giving away the Smashbox Wonder Vision Eye Set in Flash.

5. Tiffany @ The Dwelling Tree

I am a coffee-addict, runner during free time, and follower of Jesus. I am married to a super outdoorsy man who keeps me on my toes and has a cute toddler named Lillian who likes to make dinosaur noises. Follow my many adventures at The Dwelling Tree! 
Tiffany is giving away the Sterling Silver Bow Bracelet.

6. Julie @ The Smitten Mintons

I'm a smitten wife, animal lover, Jesus follower, TV enthusiast, and home decor fanatic.  After living in Atlanta all of my life, my husband and I moved to Orange County, California where we are adjusting easily to the constant sunshine, lack of humidity (Praise the Lord!), and abundance of gourmet cupcakes. I recently started my own organizing company and love to make people's lives a little easier. I'm also slightly obsessed with our three fur babies, Maisy, Mr. Pepper, and Diego, so you'll be seeing a lot of them on my blog!
Julie is giving away a Target Gift Card, Starbucks Gift Card, and Valentine's Day DVD.

7. Krista @ A Handful of Everything

I am a military wife and Mom of two amazing and rambunctious boys.  I spend my time divided between my job as a 2 and 3 year old preschool teacher, a Tiger Cub Scout Leader, the Second Counselor in my church women's group, and chauffeuring my boys to their school, sport, and scouting activities.  I love to make things with my own hands.  I love a good story! Movies, books, art, and music all hold a special place in my heart. The most important thing I can do in life is to spend time with my family. I believe in a lifetime of learning and that life is too short for bad food! 
Krista is giving away the Pampered Chef Ice-Cream Scoop and Chocolate Caramel Sauce.

8. Samantha @ Samantha Elizabeth

My blog is about all things I hold dear to my heart... my faith, family, cooking, photography, and travel.  My hope is that my blog will bring inspiration, positive encouragement and perhaps a laugh or two to its readers.  I am a wife to a wonderful guy named Dusty and mother to an adorable fur-baby named Gus. 
Samantha is giving away the gorgeous Red Wrap Necklace and Gold Arrow Ring.

9. Bekah @ re•solve

re•solve is a personal self improvement blog focusing primarily on my green, vegetarian lifestyle with elements of faith and marriage thrown in!
Bekah is giving away Arbonne's Nourishing Daily Conditioner

10. Heather Lynne @ Raising Memories

I'm Heather Lynne.  I'm a Canadian wife and mom to 2 daughters. I blog about fun things parents can do with & for their kids.  These ideas and tutorials are mixed in with my photography,

photography tips and any other crafty attempts I make! You can also find a

Linky on my blog each weekend- I'd love to see you there! :)
Heather Lynne is giving away the Mabel's Labels Basic Kit.

Now for the GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Master Bedroom Makeover

I really love this transformation of my parents' bedroom- it went from bright and busy to calm and serene. Our goal was to create a very peaceful room that they can retreat to, and I think we were pretty successful! 

Charlie was mesmerized :)

And one more look at the Before and After...

So much better!