The Exterior A Year Later + An Announcement!

 Can you believe it has been an entire year since we got a new front door and painted it red?  Our official "before" photo of the front of our house, taken last spring, looks like this:

And for the last year, this picture has been our "currently" with nothing more than the front door changed:

Well, hold onto your seats because we have an update for you!  Okay, not really.  But considering an entire year has passed and all we have done was maintain what was already there (mowing the lawn, weeding, trimming the hedges) I thought I had better snap another photo to see what Mother Nature can do by herself.
 

Although the sky is a lot less blue and a lot more hazy due to all the wildfires we are having, the haze made for a much better photo! Since last year, all of the bushes have grown and gotten thicker and even the tree in our front yard looks more substantial.  The hedges to the right of the carport have grown to the point where we can't even reach them on a ladder (that was last Saturday's chore), so we are kinda regretting letting those get so big.   Oops!  Other than that, I am learning to be patient with the whole landscaping thing.  It takes time for a yard to mature and it's kind so interesting to look back and see where we have come from and wonder what things will look like next year.  Hopefully (!), we'll have a little more progress.

In the meantime, I'll be in my studio working on the real reason I needed a new photo:

I'll share with you that finished painting early next week, along with 6 new 24"x30" abstracts that will be going live on Monday for sale.  6!!  Can you tell I have been enjoying my new studio?

Happy Weekend, friends.  What are you up to? 

Boos-ing the Block

We have been doing pretty good keeping the kitchen updates to a minimum while we save our pennies for a complete overhaul as soon as we can finalize plans (which is a completely different post).We have spent around $150 (not including a new fridge and dishwasher) to get our previous kitchen:

to where it is today--a more aesthetically pleasing, still cramped version.

 

The newest addition to the room is that butcher block hanging out on the counter.  We have dreams of removing the peninsula altogether and getting a thick butcher block island down the road, but I couldn't resist buying this much, much smaller version for Chris as a pre-father's day gift (does anyone else have trouble holding onto gifts?) when I saw it at Ross for a mere $20!  The ones I have been contemplating getting have all been in the $75+ for something this thick and heavy, so when I saw the price tag I didn't even think twice about putting it my cart.  

We have a large, plastic cutting board that we constantly stow away (because it isn't very pretty) and pull out multiple times a day to use--so having a surface to cut on that looks good enough to stay out is great.  The only down side was, the butcher block was very dry and needed oiled before we could use it. Every time we went to the store we forgot to get butcher block oil, so it sat on our counter unused for weeks. I finally ordered some from Amazon one day (John Boos Mystery Oil Butcher Block Oil) when it was on my mind and yesterday it finally came. 

Chris quenched the thirst of our butcher block and I documented the whole thing. Naturally.  Here is how it looked when we started, which didn't seem terrible to us--we were blown away with the depth it took on once it was oiled. 

 

Maybe we're complete nerds (we are) but it was exciting watching the butcher block evolve to its full potential as it soaked in the oil (yep, definitely nerds). I'm pretty sure I heard an, "Ahhhhh" like it just finished drinking a gallon of ice water.

So that's our latest mini kitchen update.  It looks good for me and is practical for Chris, which can only mean we're all smiles over here.  That is, until we run into the peninsula while trying to sit at the dining room table. A full kitchen remodel couldn't come fast enough!

Ch-ch-changes with a side of Spaghetti (Squash) and (Turkey) Meatballs

It's no secret we are doers 'round here.  Every day, in our list of things that needs to get done, we also have a slightly shorter list of projects that we would like to get done.  Checking these things off has not only fed us with non-stop daily blogging material to feed your DIY eyes, but has also helped us slowly and steadily fix up this house of ours for the past 14 months.  Breathe easy--we aren't even close to being done so you can count on more projects and renovations for a long, long time.  That said, we are also going to start slowly renovating our virtual home.  With these cleaner visual changes, we would also like to reintroduce more of us--the non-power-tool side.  Hello, we're deeper than DIY.  And when I say "deeper" I mean funnier--and that really only applies to Chris. Basically, we can't wait to share more of what we do when we aren't doing projects.  

So while the remodeling will still be coming in strong (we still have close to an entire house to renovate, yeesh), look forward to more "where we goin', what we seein', who we with" posts and photos, too.  Mixed with plain sweetness, like this:

Awww, that's when Chris climbed in Greta's crib this past weekend and they chilled for 20 minutes while I snapped an infinite amount of pictures (see more over on her blog).  Those twoooooo.

And while we are discussing putting the power tools aside, I wanted to share with you my DIY feat last night--dinner.  Me!  I made dinner!  Which is especially blog worthy because of its rarity (Chris cooks 9.95 times out of 10), but it also turned out good... surprisingly. 

You can't call spaghetti and meatballs groundbreaking, guilt-free or healthy, but you can eat as much spaghetti squash and turkey meatballs as you want without a carb coma and it is still gonna taste amazing. Really, really good.

Get the sauce going first.  This is Chris's top-secret really good red sauce recipe that he told me I could "do whatever  I want with."  I hope that includes sharing it on our blog.

1/2 yellow onion-diced
1-2 garlic cloves (depending on how big they are)
Large can of diced tomatoes (do NOT drain the liquid)
Small can of tomato paste
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp dried parsley
The juice of 1 orange
Salt and Pepper
Fresh chopped basil and parsley 

Grind spices together (excluding salt and pepper) in a mortar and pestle and set aside. Put a sauce pan on medium low heat. Once the pan is heated, saute the onions (add a pinch of salt) in cooking oil until starting to brown a bit, but not totally caramelized. Add the garlic (put it through a press) and saute for literally 15 seconds, then add half your jar of tomato paste and saute for a couple minutes or so, stirring frequently. Add your ground spices in the middle of this process and let them cook a bit too.
Add the orange juice and cook for about a minute
Add the diced tomatoes, along with their liquid. Stir to incorporate and let simmer on medium low heat for 30 minutes or so, uncovered.
During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add fresh chopped basil and parsley (more basil than parsley). Salt and pepper to taste.

The meatballs (the ones my grandma has made for decades and decades) break down like this:

1 lb ground meat (I used turkey)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 egg
fresh parsley
T of olive oil 

Mix with hands and roll into balls.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, then plop them in your sauce to soak up the flavor and finish cooking.

So really the only part of this meal I had to figure out on my own was cooking the spaghetti squash.  What did I do? Microwave it. Sliced it in half lengthwise, took out the seeds and goo, placed both halves flesh-side down in a dish with 1/2 inch of water and nuked it for 7 minutes.  Quickety quick quick.  The whole meal took me 35 minutes to put together, which to be honest is about 20 minutes longer than I like it to, but it was tasty and healthy.  I'll give it that. Spaghettisquashandturkeymeatballs.  It's what's for dinner. ... not the same ring, huh.

You can follow more of what is on my culinary mind (spoiler alert: it is mostly really healthy--although I did just pin that s'mores bar recipe that is going around for eye candy) on our "Good Eats" Pinterest board.  

The Gray Ghost and the Guitar.

Can you believe we still haven't wrapped up the family room?  Yeesh.  It's like we got a couch and everything else went kaput.  In reality, we got a couch and have been spending lots of night snuggled up on it making up for lost veg time.  We have caught the fire again and are anxious to finish this room up once and for all--really there are just a few spaces that need attention.  For instance, this wall has been blank for quite some time:

And today, I finally hung up two things that fill the space, but more importantly add more character to the room.

This painting on the right is actually done by my uncle, Jim.  It is a silk-screen of (I believe) the "Gray Ghost" also known as John S. Mosby, a confederate cavalry in the Civil War.  Now, I admit, I am no history buff, and if it wasn't for Wikipedia--I probably wouldn't know that the Gray Ghost's name was actually John Mosby, but I absolutely love having a piece of my family's art history hung on the walls of my home.



The painting was done back in '74 and the whole thing was custom framed by my PapPap--who has practiced that art for decades.  So you see, it is pretty special to me and I am thrilled my mom let me have it for awhile (we believe in traveling galleries around here).

The guitar on the left is Chris's.  He does like to play it now and again (although he most often sticks to his djembe currently hanging out in the living room) so the guitar doubles as art when it's not in use.

Though I am thrilled that both pieces mean something to us, I feel like the guitar coloring could be improved upon to tie into the rest of the room.  Luckily, with Chris's blessing, I am giving the body and headstock a little makeover.

Using Photoshop, I mocked up a light gray guitar that would go well with the couch:

And a white one to tie into the bookcases:

Both are promising and I am excited about the potential outcome.  Which do you like better, or would you keep it as is?  Do you have a favorite in-the-family piece of art?

8 Things I'd Love to Add to Your Living Room

I have done a countless amount of mood boards since March, when I started custom mood boards for your spaces.  During that time, close friends and family have asked me, "Does it get easier?" or "Does it get faster?" referring to the time and effort I put into each design.  The answer is--not really, because every space is so different.   However, today I wanted to share with you a few of my go-to accessories when putting together a room.  I guess you could call them my "MVPs" of mood board making.

1.  I am hooked on these storage baskets.  For their natural look and their booming functionality.

2.  This table lamp is not only sleek and modern, it is incredibly affordable.  I'll take two, please!

3.  A punchy pillow is a must-have for every couch. I love this quirky pom-pom one for its bright color and surprising shape. 

4.  An oversized photograph can completely amp up a room.  This one is from 20x200, but try following this tutorial to make your own!

5.  Area rugs, people!  Even if you have wall-to-wall carpet, don't dismiss the power of layering an area rug over top.  My current crush? This one from Shades of Light that comes in a slew of different colors. 

6.  Something that's alive...errr at least looks alive.  If you have a black thumb, or just don't want to think about taking care of indoor plants, this faux potted grass is easy to maintain and incredibly contemporary.  If you still have ivy draped around your place, or worse, above your cabinets.  Throw it out. Now.

7. I love mixing photos, art and typography for a curated look.  This typographic print is June's chalkboard drawing, but feel free to find something that spells out what you feel about your space. 

8.  A throw.  A throw. A throw.  And not just to tuck away and pull out when you hunker down to watch the tube--it is also an accessory that can add a cozy pop to your room.  I love these vibrant ones draped over the arm of a couch.  Psst. They're on clearance! 

There you have it.  Some free design advice from yours truly.  Anything you would add to the list?


Still itching for more? Is there a room in your home begging for some help? Are you stuck in a design rut? Send photos and your dilemma to moodboards@chrislovesjulia.com and let's get started. Check out our Mood Boards page for more info.

Poster Child

Father's day, before we headed to church, I snapped a few photos of Greta because she was looking so grown up and she was in a good mood--which sadly, didn't even last an hour into church.   This would have been prime gift-giving material if I could have done it a week before and put it in a frame for Chris to haul to his office from the girl who made him a dad. Woulda Coulda Shoulda.  While I love taking pictures of my little girl, I was really hoping to snap a good one to add to our gallery wall. 

The second one being the most clear was frame-worthy and a couple days later my photo-printing procrastination paid off when this showed up in my email:

Because the rest of our photos are in black and white on that wall, I dragged little Greta into Photoshop and put her in grayscale and forked over $3 for shipping.  She arrived yesterday.

The sad thing about this gallery wall is: 1) Does having only three photos really count as a "gallery?" 2.) I got those three black frames at Ross, which means I'll never find the exact ones again.  3.) I hate how small the previous photos are.  

Instead of conforming to the gallery wall as it stand hangs, I am gradually going to work on transitioning it into something that works and looks better.  For starters, I no longer care about finding the exact black frame.  In fact, I plan on mixing some white frames in, too.  Mostly, because I have a ton of those.  Also, I am open to ledges and mixing in some black and white sentimental art pieces, too.

So, here's the new inspiration:

Can you see it?  Are ya feelin it?  For me, it feels so much more carefree and informal which is the direction our home is happily headed.  Informal we got down.  Carefree?  Working on it.

Are you just as happy it is Friday as I am??

Happy Weekend, friends!

I Guess We're Gonna Get Our Hands Dirty.

Well, we didn't win that $75K exterior makeover we were pining for, but someone much more deserving did (Congrats Pohls!).  Also, I have given up on yard crashers coming to the rescue (not really, but I heard if you act unsure they are more prone to picking you. eeeep.) So now, we are taking matters into our own black-thumbed hands.  I have spent the majority of Greta's nap time researching what zone we are in and what plants and trees are going to work best in our yard.  Our backyard is a blank canvas...err almost blank (we cannot get rid of the blasted dog house! bonfire?), while the front yard needs an overhaul.  We are not rose people.  In fact, I can't imagine how anyone with small children can appreciate 10 rose bushes (yes, that number gets higher every time I speak of them) lining the perimeter of their front yard.  Needless to say, we're on the hunt for friendlier, lower maintenance shrubs.  Inspiration is happening, people.

Check out our Home Exterior board to see more of what we are workin' up over here.

Stale Nursery to Lively Studio Reveal!!

The studio is done (!!) and now we get to marvel at how far we have come and pat ourselves on the back for making some seriously great decisions along the way.  This was the perfect space to collaborate with you readers.  We had a great time (although, admittedly, sometimes nerve-wrecking) seeing what you would choose for the ceiling color, the FLOR tiles, the light fixture, the curtains and even what you wanted to see the desk lamp painted--yellow was the perfect choice. Throughout the whole process, the votes didn't always sway the way we thought we wanted them to, but as things started coming together,  we couldn't be happier with each element in the room.  Thank you for playing along.  Now let's get to the goods.  And by that, I mean a look back at the bad--where we started--the third bedroom upstairs (a seriously creepy, dingy, outdated nursery) that we hadn't touched since moving in over a year ago:

And here how it looks today as my studio:

I'll give you a minute to scroll up and down and process the fact that it is, indeed, the exact same room at almost the same angle. It feels...alive now.  Inspiring.  Fresh. And like it belongs in our house.  The other side of the room looked just as stale and eerie when we started:

And here's how it looks now:

This side of the room is where I will be photographing most of my work, so nothing is actually hanging on the walls, but the 5.5'x3' chalkboard (showing this month's drawing) does take up a bit of room. :) 

It's nice to back up the camera and show you how yesterday's post on DIYing that large wall quote plays into the rest of the room.  Since there are times when I have to work while Greta is awake, I wanted to be sure there was plenty of room for her to keep busy and "work" too.  

Her Ikea Latt table and chairs that I revamped a few months ago provide the perfect workspace for her.

I love how the green chairs tying in to the other green accents in the room.  Woot for happy accidents.

And thankfully, there is also plenty of floor space for her to romp around in.  Or, these days, roll over.  She is on a major rolling spree.  

And when she gets tired, she can make her way over to her lounge corner and sift through my sketchbooks, or open the canvas box stuffed with other toys and books to entertain her.



My workspaces are just as varied.  My chalkboard is a big work surface for me once a month, but there is also my desk.



My desk is where I blog from and sketch from and prepare prints to be sent. It's a mood-board-making place, too...and I have a feeling it will take on other roles as time passes (kitchen planning, anyone?).

Next to my desk is my easel I got for mother's day (thanks, Chris!) and I can't wait to give every one of those blank canvases leaning against the wall a ride on it. 

This room means so much to me.  I had trouble even opening the door to this room that we hoped to turn into a nursery (more on that here) and now, it has become a major control room for creative things to come about. It is useable now and although we still have hopes to one day turn it into a second nursery, as the writing on the wall says, we are open to whatever comes next in our lives.  This is what was next for us, and we are so, so happy to enjoy the space and our lives as a family right now.  

What do you think? Of course I love the big wall quote--it feels all-encompassing to me, but in my opinion, the curtains kinda make the room.  What's your favorite part??

For inquiring minds, get ready for a complete source list. Readddyyyy go.

Wall color: Behr Ultra Pure White in eggshell. Ceiling color: Martha Stewart Hummingbird blue. Floor paint: Behr solid color wood stain in Cordovan Brown Area Rug: FLOR's Roadside Attraction in Dew Light Fixture: Shade's of Light Springfield Drum Shade Semiflush Ceiling Light Curtains: (2) Urban Outfitter's Batik Galaxy tapestries Curtain rod and clips: Ikea Studio desk: gift from parents when I was 17 Studio stool: Target Faux fur throw: Ikea Art easel: Hobby Lobby Desk lamp: Ikea spray painted Krylon's Sun Yellow in gloss Chalkboard: Chris DIYed Green pompom floor pillow: Ross Canvas box: Ikea As-Is Greta's play table: Ikea (see revamp tutorial here) Quote letters: Hobby Lobby (see tutorial here)

Want to look back at the studio makeover process?  Check out where it all started, readers voting on color scheme, readers voting on ceiling color, floor planning, readers voting on an area rug,  light fixture options, voting on curtains, tearing up the maroon carpet, painting the subfloor, hanging the curtains and laying the FLOR tiles, voting of desk lamp color, installing the new fixture, the misadventures of lamp painting, stool buying and messes, and DIY 3D wall quote. 

DIY 3D Quote Wall.

A little white ago, I introduced you to my personal mantra and told you it was involved in my last project for the studio. While I said I wasn't going to show you the studio until the final reveal--I couldn't not share with you this simple project that has me smiling.  

First, I picked up all 25 8-inch, paper mache letters from two separate Hobby Lobbys.  (Yeesh).  I arranged them on the floor fun fun to see an arrangement that would work best.  I tried left-aligning the entire thing, centering and ended on the idea of justifying all the lines to create a blocked quote.  

When I had an arrangement I liked, I took them outside and gave them all several coats of white spray paint.

I know, I know.  Why not a bold color?  Ultimately, I want the studio to be a place where I can not only work and paint but also photograph my art and such a large installment needed to not reflect any color onto the opposite wall.   Also, and more importantly, I really dig the white-on-white look.

Starting with the top line, I played with the placement of the letters until it was centered on the wall.  Once I had this line just as I wanted it, it became my guide.

For the second row, I started out making a light pencil line on the wall with my level (a laser level would be dynamite for this project) and placed the first and last letter lined up under the top row of words.  Then, I just filled in the remaining letters.

Initially, I used masking tape to temporarily hang the letters so that I could make quick adjustments to placement.

Once I had each letter exactly where I wanted them, I stuck two heavy duty velcro squares cut into half-inch(ish) pieces to the back to hold up the light-weight letters for the long term.

The final look is just how I imagined it.  I actually used this idea in a mood board for a client who needed help designing his office break room.  I couldn't wait to get it into my own home.

This project can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it depending on how many letters you need/want.  This quote came in just under $75.  Each letter cost around $2.50 + $5 for spray paint and $6 for the velcro.  But for something this large and this personal, it feels completely worth it.

Do you see any 3D wall quotes in your future?  Can't wait to show you the rest of the studio tomorrow!