the exterior

We have been enjoying our summer in Memphis, and thankfully it hasn't been TOO hot until this past week.  There have been quite a few nights that we have enjoyed sitting on the patio and there was a light breeze!  We know the humid summer is coming, so we definitely enjoyed those nights while we had them.

So far it has been quite eventful at our house... The roof project finally took place and our house looks like a brand new house.  So thankful that project is finally behind us.  Here she was before (with the roof color samples up)....

And here she is now.  The final phase of the exterior updates.

We are so pleased.  Feels like a brand new house!

Just for fun... Here's the house when we bought it.  We have come a LONG way!

This place has been a labor of love for T and I, and we have enjoyed every minute of it.  It really feels like home and I can't wait to start our family here and share it with this little peanut.  We are so blessed.

A few other projects have taken place this spring summer... I'll be back with those!

go-to

My mom gave me Dinner: A Love Story for Christmas and I've loved reading her stories and recipes on family dinners.

While perusing one Sunday for my weekly menu, I stumbled upon our new go-to recipe for a quick delicious dinner: Baked Sausage with Apples, Potatoes and Onions.  I had all the ingredients already (frozen chicken/apple sausage from costco!), so I thought I'd give it a try since my guy is a meat and potato guy.
Her recipe is below, but I made the following changes... 2 chicken/apple sausages, large chunks of half an onion (T doesn't like onions), chopped up yukon gold potatoes and dried thyme.  Usually an amount of everything for 2 people.  We top with spicy brown mustard and it is marvy.

Baked Sausage with Apples, Potatoes, and Onions

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large baking dish, toss 2 cups small whole unpeeled potatoes (or 3 to 4 medium potatoes chopped), 1 medium onion (chopped artlessly in chunks), and leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh thyme with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, then toss in 2 to 3 apples (unpeeled, preferably baking apples such as Cortland, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Northern Spy) that have been cut into large chunks, and 4 uncooked sweet Italian sausages (about 1 pound). Turn heat down to 400°F and bake another 30 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar into vegetables. Serve with dollops of grainy or Dijon mustard.

hallway update

After collecting and purchasing a big number of frames (and having some Italian art professionally framed) T and I hung up the hallway wall gallery.  I was going to do the whole cut out scrap paper and tape it up, but we didn't want to go into that much work... So we started and found the center of the gallery and worked our way out.  It wasn't too bad.  Hardest part was hanging that C because there are two holes to make it hang straight.

We love how it turned out!

Here was the hallway before (mentioned in this post):

And here it is now!

It will be so easy to change out our little instagram photos, the other photos, and even add to the gallery as life goes on...  That empty frame you see is a place holder for a sweet photo of his granny ree and pawpaw, and when he finds a good photo of his dad's parents, we'll switch out something for them to be in our collection.  The two black and whites are my grandparents (two ladies I was named after), and that double matted center piece is a note from George W congratulating us on our marriage!

Love having these memories displayed in our home.  Maybe we'll just eventually add to the other side?

photos

I love photos... I love old photos... and I want more of them in our home.  I just feel like a home with lots of photos and memorabilia is so very cozy.

I want to do a gallery wall in our hallway, but I have questions before pulling the trigger and nailing everything up...

1.  If you do a gallery wall in a hallway, does it need to be on every wall in said hallway?
2.  It's ok to mix all textures and colors and shapes of frames and sizes, right?
3.  It's ok to mix art and photos and other items in said gallery, right?

Here is our hallway now (with awesome doorbell and alarm)...

And I'm picturing gallery on the left empty wall.  So to expand on my first question, if I do it on this one wall, will the right wall (which is actually a shorter open space than the left) look off-balance?

Here are some images I've seen that I like...

via here

via pottery barn

I've also seen some floor to ceiling ones that are awesome.  We will use the ole-cut-out-paper-the-size-of-your-stuff trick and tape it up to see the best layout.

Anyone have any thoughts?

on the go + craft + pouf

Since the beginning of October we have been in Oxford every weekend, and while we do love it, we are glad to finally enjoy a weekend at home (this weekend).  The weather has finally turned chilly in Memphis, and while I was ready for it now that it's here I'm freeezzinggg.... And Gibson is shivering too. But I love sweaters and scarves and boots and wool socks and fires, so here we go!

I've done a few crafty projects around the ole house lately, and I never want to feel all braggy on this here blog, but one of them T absolutely loves, so I thought I'd share.  My inspiration for this came from pinterest... this yarn wreath below:

via here

Leslie had just made a yarn wreath for Juliette's door, and I guess I hadn't remembered how she told me that it takes SO LONG to make a yarn wreath... Well it does.  And I only did 2 layers (you're "supposed" to do 3).  I just loved the colors of this so I found some pumpkin colored yarn at Hobby Lobby on sale and already had the off-white felt.  My MIL had just given me this huge bunch of decorative sticks, so I new I could use those for the accent brown.  I hung it on our bedroom door...

Another new item I've been enjoying is our new pouf!  I spotted it while we were in Oxford shopping around the square with Margie, and I just had to go back to get it.  In our den we have 2 chairs, an ottoman, couch and coffee table, but there actually isn't room to have the ottoman in front of the chair.  Plus, Gibson would be depressed if we took away his perch...

So I this awesome kilim pouf and T and I went back to grab it up--good thing too because it was the very last one.  He mocked me for a little while that we bought a "pouf" but then he realized how awesome it actually is.  A sturdy stool that is just the right size and easily mobile.  Here it is on the way back...

Future possibilities for this little pouf are endless.

--> UPDATE of pouf in our den (per request):

a completed project...finally

This project has been in the works for 2 months now, and last night it was finally complete! It all started with me finding this blog where a girl draws up plans to build "pottery barn-like furniture" that she has drawn up herself.

We had this blank wall in our kitchen by the kitchen table that I couldn't decide [for months] what we would put there. I have always loved mudrooms, but will never truly have one at good ol Fiesta. Well then this girl popped up and voila! A "mudroom" for us!

Pottery barn makes this bench and shelf combo that I love. And by golly girl had plans for it on her blog. My oh so handy super sweet and nice hubby agreed to take on such project (with the help of good pal Ryan and Gary). T and I procured the wood, got it cut by the "great wood-cutters at Home Depot," and they knocked out the building of it in about 2 days. Yes!

While they worked on the building, Laura and I searched for fabric and sewed up the bench cushion (complete with fabric covered buttons)!

Laura and I got the bench and shelf painted in a day, and it was ready to go! (so I thought...)

Now let's go ahead and say, you can for sure knock out this simple little project if your hubs isn't an accountant during busy season, and if your hubs can make quick decisions. I love him.

The cute little bench sat in place (with cushion and baskets) starting the middle of March, but sat all alone. The pretty shelf sat in the dining room, then was moved to the living room/library, then was moved upstairs... until this past Saturday. That's 2 months people. It took sweet ol T a good 2 months to "decide how he wanted to hang it on the wall." Well I was over that excuse. It was time for it to go up [passed time actually]. He called on another good pal, Russ, to help with the decision.  They got their plans together and it took them less than 45 minutes to get that sucker up on the wall. So I reveal our 2 month long project in all its glory. It's a beauty, if I do say so myself. [and there's a cutie on the top shelf]

And again for good measure...

If wood work and paint and patience with your spouse is up your alley, I encourage you to take a look at this girls website. She has plans for so many great pieces [we are even starting another project from her site]. We found it was much cheaper to build, paint, and sew up our own shelf and bench and it have personalized character, rather than buy from good ol over-priced PB at a whopping $500 bones.

shower for baby davis

On Saturday, Leslie, Mandi, Stacey and I hosted a baby shower for our fellow Bridgebuilder, Hayley Davis. She and her husband Kelby aren't finding out the gender of the baby, so everything was neutral, which I loved. This shindig was at the ole Fiesta house, and it was a grand ol' time. I'll show you things through these photos.

Sis took these for me as I was trying to finish up last minute things and put on makeup, so thanks for that, and then we weren't very good at take photos with actual people in them, or even Hayley. [Oh well, we are trying to get better.]

All the food was delicious, Leslie and Mandi did a great job preparing the edibles. Stacey and I supplied the beverages. You can read about Leslie's food adventures here.

My first time to use that awesome wood tiered server. Thanks to Whole Foods for those nice flowers, and I got lucky and forsythia bloomed in my backyard so I just snipped a few sprigs to add to the flowers.

We wanted to have decor that Hayley could take home and use. Laura made that cute Baby Davis banner using fabric that Hayley used in the nursery. I hope she finds a good spot for it!

Good eats...

Good sweets...

Some drinks...

I made her a sweet little onesie with a 'd' on it for baby Davis using her nursery fabric. Hung that on the door and then she got to take it with her.

More forsythia!

Sitting on the coffee table were some little bottles and canisters filled with cotton balls and baby qtips for her to enjoy as well.

We really did have a swell time meeting Hayley's family and chatting with fellow friends. It was a beautiful day outside and I hope to host more fun showers in the future!

gibson is a good helper

When I am doing projects...

I have done a few things at the house this week, well one of them I did a long time ago, but I'll share it now.

When we bought our house I found all these huge frames and a couple of them I decided to use for some bulletin boards. One I spray painted, and the other one I left wood [but should have spray painted].

Here is what I did in photos with the small one, and then I did the same thing for the bigger one.

1. The frame of your liking. Make sure you measure the dimensions where you are able to staple the cork into.



2. Roll of cork and foam board [cut to dimensions you measured earlier].



3. Some fabric. After you cut your foam board and then glue the cork over that (I used 2 layers of cork), lay it on top of the fabric and cut the fabric leaving some room around the edges so you can staple it to the foam board.



Let your cute pup help you with this part. :) They like to walk on fabric and thing you do on the floor.



And then your silly hubs will wrap him up in it so there is plenty of dog hair as extra decoration.



4. Staple the cork [foam] board covered in fabric to the frame. I had a heavy duty stapler, but that went through the front, but a regular office stapler worked fine for me!

5. Voila. Hang up your stuff and you have a cute and inexpensive new bulletin board.





Here is the larger one in the "office" room [that isn't so much an office right now]





[sorry photos are kind of weird, I'm not as good at using t's camera]

I also added something to our living room [that one day will be a library]. Dudley's mom gave us this old record player cabinet and it's awesome. The radio works, but the record player doesn't. Maybe I'll try to paint it one day, but for now I'm leaving it as is. The top of it was a little beat up, so I thought I try to whip up a cute table runner.

After the estate sale at our house, I found this huge bag of fabric in the huge street trash pile. This fabric was in the bunch, and long enough for a runner. Perfect.





What do you think?

an amendment [to previous post]

Dudley found a new game to play with Gibby. At the end of this video, you will be able to see what I'm talking about when I say he just stands there and squeaks it. :)

one spoiled little man

Sorry for the brief hiatus from an update, I know everyone was just dying for an update... :)

Gibson is such a joy and we love this little man. He is such a part of our family now and I don't know what we would do without that little face. No matter what kind of day either of us have had, he is always happy and ready to see us when we get home. He has such a personality and is just hilarious.

He got a new chipmunk squeaker from Santa in his stocking and his name is Alvin. Gibson loves him. He will just stand there with Alvin in his mouth squeaking away. I hear that this brand will last a long time and that he won't be able to tear it up. We'll see how long he lasts with Gibby boy. I'm just going to post a whole bunch of photos [taken by cell phones] of what this spoiled guy has been up to lately...

He loves the couch. Never wants to leave, and if we are in his spot, he will walk all over us until we move so he can curl up. What do we do about this spoiled little man? He loves to sit on the stool and gaze out the window in search of a squirrel to chase. He normally lays on the rug and watches over the kitchen if I'm in there cooking.

He is getting more used to riding in the car, but still shakes and pants after awhile. He does like going to visit the Carters in Oxford and has made himself at home there. See 2nd photo. We caught him laying like a human on a pillow on the couch while we played phase 10. He just has the sweetest face, maybe that's why he's so spoiled.

A glance into the day and the life of Mr. Gibson... Sorry for the poor quality iPhone photos. One day I'll put up some good ones from T's fancy camera.

exterior house phase 3

When we first bought our house, I'll be honest that I had a hard time with envisioning it looking great one day. Well, with new paint, new door, no nasty bushes, new numbers it was already looking great! With phase 3, it's so much better. I mean, SO MUCH BETTER!

And I reveal, phase 3.

New shutters!!!! Merry Christmas to us from my parents. Thank you, thank you, thank you! We love them.

We got them from J&L Shutter and they will last a lifetime. We picked Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze for the color and it looks perfect.

Now we just need to powerwash that bottom area that the bushes used to cover up, and some landscaping. It's a slow process, but I love our first home.

some things we did last week

Last week we got a lot accomplished around the Carter house.

My Aunt Gwynne (Guinn :)) bought a tree for us to plant in our front yard, and it got planted last Tuesdee. It's a commemoration sugar maple. It will be beautiful and big one day...


We bought a new rug at PB outlet for the entryway. It's s'nice.


I gave in and gave T something more "manly" for our bed....


He found the Griswold house here in Memphis and took me and gib to see it. If you want to see for yourself, I'll tell you where to go.


We finally bought a vacuum cleaner. The shark navigator infomercial came on one Saturday morning, and we watched the whole thing, and we were sold. We have all hardwoods, so we didn't need anything super fancy. The shark is perfection for Fiesta vacuuming needs.


The Stephens had us over for dinner last week. Gib joined, and he and Bama played all night. They are now besties.


We put up our beautiful tree that smells divine, got it decorated s'nicely (if I do say so myself)...


And the minute the skirt went around, Gib assumed position.


I also did some other decorating for Christmastime, but I'll have to share later. This is all I had on the phone from shakeit. T got Gibson a Santa sqeaker toy. And he loves it.


We are ready to enjoy the holiday season!