Friday, August 31, 2012

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to my house! 
 
Five years ago this Labor Day weekend we moved into our home and all the fun, drama, labor, exhaustion, frustration, and love began.  In the coming week, I hope to post some before and not-quite-after-still-working-on-it-here's-the-progress-we've-made-so-far pictures. 
 
But before we get to all that fun, I thought I would share the story of our house.
 
 
When my husband and I got married, we were fortunate to be able to move into a great starter home about thirty minutes outside Birmingham.  The only problem was that the traffic was awful, we weren't close to our friends and family, and we couldn't easily enjoy all the fun things the city had to offer.  We also knew that whenever the kids came along we would need a larger house.  So when the rumblings in the housing market started in 2007, we started talking about moving closer to Birmingham and finding our "forever" home.
 
 
We looked on the internet and found a house for sale in the neighborhood that my husband grew up in and he told me to go take a look at it.  So I set up an appointment with the realtor, looked at the property, and really liked it.  I asked what we needed to do if we wanted to make an offer and she said put our house up for sale.  So I went home, told my husband, and he said go for it. 
 
Our house sold in a month and in the meantime we put contracts on two other houses, but both fell through.  In need of a house, we went back to the first one I viewed and decided with a bit of love we could make it work.  So we made an offer, signed the papers, and she was all ours. 
 
Our new home - Labor Day 2007
And then my life became eerily similiar the Money Pit and This Old House. 
 

 
 
 


Thursday, August 30, 2012

Color Inspiration

There are plenty of websites out there providing color inspiration for your home, but the coolest one I have seen is Design Seeds, which I found via the Lisa Sherry Interieurs blog.  What makes the this site stand out is the beautiful images that provide the inspiration for their original color palettes.  Here are a few of my faves:
 









 
You can browse by color value, theme, or just view the new palette that is posted each day on the site. 
 
The Design Seeds blog also provides intriguing images of interiors, clothing, and travel.  I feel like I've had a mini vacay when looking at the travel shots!  Enjoy!
 



 
 
 

Friday, August 24, 2012

Mark Your Calendars

I love fall!  Every year I look forward to the change in the weather.  There's a slight chill in the morning air, the leaves are turning and gently falling from the trees, and all the features in the decorating magazines consist of something plaid and some holiday home decorations.  This is the time I always want to get outside, hit the road, get away, and get inspired.  Here are some of the annual events I usually attend and a few that are on my must-do list:


Birmingham Art Walk - Downtown
Friday, September 7 from 5-10 pm 
Saturday, September 8 from noon-6 pm 
This festival features art from emerging regional artists with a street festival atmosphere in Birmingham's historic loft district on Morris, 1st and 2nd Avenues North between 22nd and 25th Streets.


 
Bluff Park Art Show - Birmingham, AL
Saturday October 6th from 9am to 5 pm
This event is always a great place to score one-of-a-kind works from local and regional artists.


 Homestead Hollow - Springville, AL
Harvest Festival  October 12-14
Christmas in the Country November 9-11
Arts, crafts, food, live music, and kid's events are featured at each event.


Kentuck Festival of the Arts - Northport, AL
October 20-21 
This will be the 41st annual event and will feature nationally acclaimed folk and contemporary artists and artisans, as well as demonstrations and activities for the kids. You can preview the artists on the Kentuck website.

 
Country Living Fair  -  Atlanta, GA
October 26-28
This festival features arts, crafts, antiques, and home decor along with seminars and artisan demonstrations. 
 
  
 
Independent Presbyterian Church Holiday House Tour - Birmingham, AL 
Date to be announced
This tour always features fabulous Birmingham homes beautifully decorated for the holidays.  I would mark the calendar for December 8th and 9th and keep checking the website for details. 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Another Etsy Art Round Up

I love how Etsy has made original art available to and affordable for everyone.  You can find great paintings, prints, and photography from sellers around the world at just about any price point.  Here are a few of my latest crushes: