Finding the Prince

So the old saying about kissing frogs before you find the prince is true.  After many months of intrepid searching, countless drive-bys and peeking in windows - not to mention the hours spent on Realtor.com - we've found a house!

Our (Hopefully!) Soon-to-be New House

This is the realtor's photo from the website, so it's not the greatest quality, but it gives you an idea.  Of course, the current owners haven't been keeping up with the yard, and this photo was taken at the end of February, so it looks totally different now.

We offered them considerably less than their asking price for a couple of reasons:

1.  They haven't mowed all summer long and the yard is going to have to be mowed by professionals with a tractor.
2.  There are door jambs and mouldings that are either missing chunks because their dog ate them, or from severe weather damage, both of which could have been prevented.
3.  There is a large hole in the drywall in the basement.  The couple is getting a divorce (which is why they're selling the house), so maybe the hole is a result of a late-night domestic dispute???
4.  They took the shower heads with them in both bathrooms.  Apparently this happens frequently, because our realtor wasn't suprised by this.
5.  There is a large piece of metal flashing that is missing from the roofline above the garage that will need to be replaced.

They countered with the asking price.  Jerks.

After some debating, more looking, and hoping they'd change their mind, we decided to just accept their counter offer and pay the full asking price.  Why?  Because we're convinced that we won't find anything we love more that is in this price range with this location and lot.

Some of my favorite features:

1.  Open floorplan with entry, living, dining and kitchen all together.

The Kitchen

2.  Gas fireplace in the living room.
3.  Vaulted ceiling in the living room / dining room area.

The Kitchen, Open to the Dining Room

Vaulted Ceiling in the Living Room

4.  It has a full finished (dry!) basement.  A super bonus considering it's out in the country and I hate storms.  No more sitting in a dark wet basement riding the storm out!

Finished Basement (Looks Scary Now, but Just Wait!)

5.  It's on a 1.3 acre lot out in the country on a very quiet gravel road.  Ahh, tranquility!  And chickens!
6.  But the thing I like most about the house is that I can see the potential of how amazing it could be with some lovin' and sweat.  It has great lighting and space, and those are rare attributes amongst any of the houses we've seen.

So naturally, I've already started planning.  We've got to get some of the basics out of the way first - like some major landscaping and patching and repairing - before I get to have a whole lotta fun.

Driftwood DIY

Saving for a house never keeps me from getting something I want to buy.  I just have to figure out a way to do it myself.

Exhibit A: Cute driftwood pieces that I saw while trolling Etsy.  I particularly liked the idea of doing hooks for our back door, since we're in a little rental house without a good place to drop dog leashes, purses, jackets or anything really.  So I saw this little gem:

This one is listed at $40.00 on Etsy.

Since we live about a block away from the river, I now have easy access to a driftwood supply.  I actually found the piece that I used for my own hanger at the lake one day.  My version is below:

Not too rustic, since I used new hooks from Lowe's, but that's totally my style:  Modern Updated Classic, with a touch of the Old / Found / Picked.  Total cost for this project:

3 Hooks: $6.84

Hanging Hardware: about $3.00

Driftwood:  Free

Total: about 10 bucks.

Exhibit B:



A lovely driftwood jewelry hanger to display my necklaces.  This one is listed on Etsy at $25.00

Mine is pictured below:

And a closer shot to show the hooks:

I used picture hangers screwed into the back of the piece to hold it on the wall, giving it a floating apprearance.  I didn't want to be able to see the hanging hardware when you're looking at it, so that the focus is on the jewelry.  The hooks are cup hooks, which have the little screw end, so you just tap them in a little with a hammer and screw the rest of the way in.

The overall length of the piece is right at 18", so I allowed for 1" of space between the cup hooks. That gave me a few inches of space on either end for visual balance.  I ended up with 13 hooks total.

Total cost for this project:

16 Hangers (they come in packs of 4): $3.92

Mounting hangers for the back: $1.94

$5.86

Of course, lots of people are selling driftwood as accent pieces for display.  The smaller piece I'm just using as a decorative item.

 

See what to do with a long piece here.

For now, this piece is going to just hang out under our little console desk at the rental house, until we find a real home to display it in - either over a doorway or on the fireplace mantel.

So what's the next driftwood project?

Although I've seen a lot of them, driftwood mirrors just aren't my style, as much as I love Pottery Barn.  (Maybe that's why it's on clearance . . . )

I need to find a huge chunk to turn into a table base.  I've even got the glass ready for it.  I had a piece that was a desktop I've since gotten rid of.  But the top was 3/8" thick glass, with polished edges, so I couldn't let go of it.  The cost of the glass alone would have been around $100, so it was worth holding on to.

See my inspiration for the driftwood coffee table here.

So go out and get yourself some *free* home decor.  And even if you don't find any good pieces to use, a walk in the sunshine along the shore is never time wasted.

Happy driftwood hunting!

House Hunters: Cincinnati

We're back!  And in a new state.  Literally.

The hubs got a new job, so we sold our house we worked so hard making cute, and packed up our stuff and moved to Cincinnati.

The hunt for the next house is officially on, and we have six months to find it.  For some reason, the "gotta kiss a few frogs . . . " saying keeps coming to mind.

We saw one house (see below) last Sunday that looked so promsing: right on the river, old architectural details, and Southern charm.  But it was priced at twice its value and had a crumbling foundation (don't ever buy a house with spongey spots in the floor).

Too bad we weren't the perfect buyers for it.  I hope it makes someone else very happy.

Spraypaint Fetish

For the past couple of years, I've been fixated on glossy, white ceramic objects, especially in animal form.  They've popped up everywhere, like West Elm, Anthropologie, and Z Gallerie.  But as any decorator on a budget knows, there's always a way to get what you want.

So I started looking for animals with interesting shapes, and completely disregarding what they look like to begin with.  A good coating of glossy white spray paint can make a sad looking puppy much better.

 

Make sure you start with a clean ceramic surface.  Always spraypaint outside - I learned this the hard way in college.  I have a pavestone that I've designated as my spraypainting platform, and I like to spray in the grass, so that once the lawn is mowed, the overspray is gone.

Start from the top and do one coat, making sure you don't get too close to the surface or drippage will occur.  Also make sure that you get all of the undersides of your critter.

Some animals I've done recently: Elephant, pair of Doves, Cocker Spaniel bookend, and our little dog friend on the right.

This trend isn't limited to animals, though.  I took an antique photo frame with a beautiful shape but unattractive finish and gave it the white glossy spraypaint treatment.  The result:

I adhered the frame to the oversized switch plate with a little hot glue.  The dining room now has the prettiest light switch in the house.

Now the hunt is on for the next spraypaint target!

First Post

It's been a productive evening.  Can't wait to start blogging and get all of these ideas out of my head!