The Official House Tour

Here it is, a virtual tour of our new apartment!  I was pleasantly surprised how much less time it took us to unpack and get "settled" than it did at our last place.  Granted, our last apartment was the first J and I had together and we were just newbies at the whole moving/unpacking thing, but at this rate, moving to Omaha in a year will be a breeze (right?!?)

We will begin with another view of the lake and fountain outside our bedroom window.  Our bedroom is the smaller of the two bedrooms both in size and in closet space but it has by far the best views of the apartment and gets the afternoon sun which is helpful in keeping it cool during the day.

On a quiet day, I can hear the water lapping just outside our window which transports me to a place far away from South Bend, IN!

As you can imagine, with all this water around, there is quite a bit of wildlife just beyond our doors to keep us (and Woods) entertained.  We have almost two dozen ducks and more than that (they won't sit still for me to count them) Canadian geese that call our lake and the ones nearby home, in addition to a crane or two, rabbits and frogs.

The heart of the apartment is the living/dining room area and kitchen.  The kitchen is a bit smaller than the one we had at our last place but there is enough work space for both J and I to cook together (which was a requirement for any apartment we looked at here) and even has a little breakfast bar which I know we will utilize when entertaining so guests can be a part of the action and conversation while we cook!

The lighting in this picture is bad but you get the idea--just behind the onion painting is our very own washer and dryer, a much appreciated perk of this apartment!

A view of the dining room/breakfast bar from the living room

Same area but from the opposite angle--here we are in the kitchen looking out into the living room area

The kitchen opens out onto the dining room/living room area, which boasts new carpet and vaulted ceilings (in the living room).

A view from the dining room into the living room as Woods investigates his new surroundings

The big arch window lets in a lot of light and is often filled with bright blue skies and fluffy white clouds.

Note the content cat and gorgeous blue skies

Underneath the arch window is a sliding glass door that leads out onto a small patio.  So far we have dragged a small table and chairs out there on several nights to enjoy dinner or a glass of wine.  Next spring and summer, we hope to grow a small herb garden out there as well!

We added a few new pieces to our apartment and rearranged others to create a place that feels like home and didn't cost us a lot of money.  Meijer has become our new go-to store.  We had never heard of it before we moved here and in case you haven't either, it is basically a cross between Walmart and Target that has great clearance prices and a fairly large international food section, something I thought I was giving up when we moved from St. Louis!  For example, during one of our many visits there, we nabbed a slipper chair and the two bar stools all for under 115 dollars--the slipper chair itself was originally 110.00!

The chair needs a lumbar pillow to round out the look but I haven't found any that I like...yet!

Before we moved, we craigslisted our two black bookshelves for what we had paid for them with the plan of either buying a smaller bookshelf when we arrived or going without.  Once we got here and started to unpack, we realized we needed some sort of shelf and bought an inexpensive three shelf version at Target.  Once J assembled it, I spent the next hour or so trying to decorate it.  It was my first real attempt at creating a more pared down, stylized bookshelf and I am pretty pleased with the results, especially because all of the items were ones I already owned!

At some point, I'd like to line the back of the bookshelf with a graphic print or wallpaper, but for now it looks just fine!

The other side of the living room and a more zoomed out shot of the bookshelf

Yesterday I finally recovered our dining room chairs after the fabric sat in the corner of my office (and later a moving box) for months and I am so glad that I did.  The previous seat cushions were my first attempt at reupholstery (actually it was my first attempt at anything DIY or crafty and the subject of my first blog post) two years ago.  I never really loved the fabric, it really clashed with the rug underneath it, and based on the number of staples I removed during the process, the whole job was pretty sloppy.

Before

Since then I've read a lot more about reupholstery and feel much more comfortable taking on projects on my own, which was evident yesterday in the amount of time it took me to remove all the staples and recover all of the chairs.  A project that originally took me the entire length of a Notre Dame football game was reduced to an hour long project!

After

I absolutely adore the graphic print and the way the pattern plays subtlety off the caning on the backs of the chairs.  And want to know the best part? They finally coordinate with the rug beneath it and tie in with the other blue elements found throughout our living room and dining room!

Our dining room

The bedroom is a little more of a work in progress currently.  All the furniture is in place and art hung, but eventually some of the artwork and the bedspread will be swapped out for new things that better coordinate with the space and reflect where we are now (most of the artwork was created in the months after our wedding and tend to be very wedding-focused).  Once the weather turns cooler, our original duvet cover will grace our bed once more which will go a long way in making this space more put together.  For now, we sleep sweat free (and with lower utility bills) with our light coverlet even if it doesn't exactly match.

The curtains are a new addition to the bedroom and I love them.  The buttery yellow color matches the dresser's pulls perfectly, plus they are great at keeping out sun and heat!

The office still has a few boxes that are earmarked for a friend's garage for storage which is why photos of the second bedroom are missing from the tour.  Once we get the out of there (slated for this Saturday), I promise to share photos of that space too!

We also have a bathroom with decor I really like, but I won't be sharing pictures here because every shot I've tried to take has come out dark and features our toilet--not really something I want to have all over the blog and probably not something you want to look at!

And with that, welcome to our little home!  I hope to share lots of recipes, DIY, crafts, love and laughs here with J and with you all in the next few months.  Thank you for following along and as always, for being such a vital part of KT's Refinishing School!

P.S. I am slowly working through all of your blog posts--you all have been busy!  I may not comment on all of the posts but know that I am reading each and every one of them and loving what I'm reading.  You guys seriously rock!

Feirin De's Exterior Photos

Yesterday I shared some interior photos of our beloved vacation home, Feirin De, during a virtual house tour.  Today I am back with some exterior photos!

The first morning we were at Feirin De I made J get up and go for a walk out to the lake with me so I could take some pictures and take in the scenery.  He was a very good sport as I traipsed through the foot of snow and took lots of photos (especially because he didn't have any boots on and I did!)

In the summer, these are beautiful blue hydrangeas.  In the winter, they are still beautiful but in a much more muted tone.

I had never seen the lake this frozen before.  Last year, we spent New Years with Ashlee and JY up there but the lake didn't look nearly as impressive then as it did this time!  As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but snow and ice.  Even the waves had frozen in place, creating these mountainous ridges near the water's edge.

Here's a closeup of the ice mountain ranges I mentioned along with what looks to me like an iceberg frozen into place further out into the water.  These frozen icebergs sort of freaked me out when I saw them!

 

This is one of my favorite parts of the property.  It is the corner foundation for the original barn that was built around 1900 and all that remains of the structure.  I love it in the summer when wildflowers grow in and around it, but it looked pretty serene covered in snow too!

And the pièce de résistance of the property:  the big white barn.  It was this barn that originally led my grandparents and parents to the property.  While on their way back from getting groceries, my dad and grandma saw a sign on the main road that said "Barn Sale."  This caught their eye because they had never been to a yard sale in a barn before.  While they looked around, they learned the property was for sale and began dreaming how wonderful it would be to own a place like this.  My dad brought my mom and grandpa back to the property and the neighbor who happened to be the realtor stopped by and offered to give them a tour.  And the rest, as they say, was history.   

The previous owners had three horses (two ponies and a Paint) who called the barn their home.  When we bought the place, they left behind most of the items in the barn, including old newspapers, bridles, combs, hay and a tractor.  As a ten year old girl obsessed with horses, the horse paraphernalia were my favorite treasures.  

Last year we repainted the barn and added green trim to the windows and painted the door green.  We also put in new windows.  It is a dream of our family to one day convert this into a bed and breakfast or somehow incorporate it into a living space!  For now, it's a great place for kids to put on plays, store bikes, the riding tractor and golf cart, and other odds and ends.

I hope you are all staying warm today.  The ice and snow has stopped for the most part here but the roads are still a bit dicey.  Be careful out there!

Feirin De, or God's Gift, House Tour

Warning:  this is a photo and word heavy post!

When I was in fourth grade, my parents and grandparents bought a vacation home in South Haven, MI.
My mom had been going up to Michigan every summer since she was a girl and this was a tradition that continued on into my childhood and beyond.  After years of renting homes all over southwestern Michigan, they decided to pull the trigger and buy a place of their own.

The family who lived there before we owned it called it Auvergne.  We renamed it Feirin De at Auvergne. Feirin De is Gaelic for God's Gift, which is truly what this place has been for our family.  Each August my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and my immediate family gather for a week of laughter, swimming, biking, great food and gorgeous sunsets.  Other families rent Feirin De for a week during the summer and early Fall, many returning for the same week on the calendar year after year.

Over the years, Feirin De has witnessed at least one marriage proposal, many weddings (including my uncle's) and my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary celebration during which my grandparents renewed their vows.  It is more than a house, it is a home for all those who enter its doors.

Here are a few pictures of some of my favorite nooks and crannies at the house that I took this winter while we were there.  I hope you enjoy the house tour!

The fireplace in the master bedroom at the front (facing the lake) of the house.  The frame has pictures of our whole family and was a gift, along with the sign, for my grandparents at their fiftieth wedding anniversary.  It's hard to see in the photo but the sign says "All Because Two People Fell in Love."

A little nook off of the living room, this table is used for chess, card games, puzzles, you name it.  I love the cheery chair color and the billowy curtains.

The front door of the house, with a wheelchair ramp for my grandpa and other guests.  I love the ladder back chair in the corner which, along with many other items, came with the house!

This built in book shelf and the stairs leading upstairs may be the favorite corner of the house.  Guests are always leaving new books for us to read and checking the shelves for new material is one of the first things I do when we arrive at the lake.  The color of the stairs combined with the paneling are just perfection in my book!

Our fireplace, painted the same green as the stairs above, is my other favorite part of the house.  We have had many fires and great conversations here over the years!

This large dining room is a necessity for my large family (twenty plus people when we are all together.  The table can be extended further and there is a kid's (now mostly teenagers) table not pictured on the other side of the room.  

A close up of the window seat in the dining room.  This is a great place to read a book, take a nap or look out at the falling snow.  During dinner, it is usually covered in toys as my youngest cousins play while we are eating dinner.

This is a close-up, again in the dining room,  of the plate rail that is above the window seat.  I just love the blue and white china plates that adorn this space!

Another shot of the plate rail.  Isn't that little chandelier hanging over the window seat just perfection!

A shot of the kitchen where the magic happens.  The cabinets are a little dated but I love this kitchen because it is such a great farm house kitchen and echoes back to the days when the property was a working farm.   The window above the stove opens out onto the breakfast porch and even has a little ledge for cooling baked goods like pies!

Thus concludes the house tour.  What's your favorite part?  The staircase?  The blue and white china?  The kitchen?  Do tell!

P.S. Stay tuned for more exterior shots tomorrow!

Over the River and Through the Woods

To Grandmother's house we go!

I used to think that song was written about my grandparents' house.  When I was little and we still lived in St. Louis, we would literally drive over the river (a few, but especially the Illinois River as you come into Peoria) and through the woods (my grandparents live in a heavily wooded area, great for exploring!) to get there.

My grandma does Christmas and Christmas decorating better than anyone I know.  Her house just oozes with the holiday spirit!  When I was there two weekends ago, I asked if I could take some pictures and share with you all some of my favorite tableaux she creates and recreates every year and she said yes. I hope one day my home can look and feel like the holidays the way my grandparents' home does and more importantly, I hope you enjoy this Christmas-themed house tour!


First up, the family Christmas tree.  This thin profile tree is crammed full of ornaments collected over the years.  I helped trim it this year and learned that some of the ornaments date back to my great-grandma's tree (my grandpa's mother)!  This tree is in the family room off of the kitchen and is in view whether you are watching a movie (like Citizen Kane) or visiting with friends and family stop by.  Best of all, you can see it from the driveway as you pull in thanks to the large windows that can be seen behind the tree.

Next, the side table in the family room.  This has always been a place to display pictures of family and friends, but at Christmas time my grandma replaces some of the pictures with Christmas cards for that year or the previous year.  I think this is a great way to display photo Christmas cards and has the ability to make any corner, like this one, special and festive.  The photos are guarded with a trusty Nutcracker and flanked by some red and green candles brought out for the season.

Next up, the dining room.  This room is one of my favorites in the home, perhaps because of all the great food, conversation, friendship and love that has been shared there over the years.  The buffet table features a gold nativity scene, lamp shades she switches out just for the holidays, and gold and green accents everywhere.  I especially love the unique gold nativity scene and the star of Bethlehem behind it!  That stack of china plates in the corner was for the Oyster Stew that didn't happen due to snow, but they are Twelve Days of Christmas china, brought out especially for this time of year!

Also in the dining room is her chandelier, ready and trimmed for Christmas with garland, gold beads, and porcelain ornaments.  Also, notice the cheery wreath and snowy painting on the far right wall.  She even puts up holiday art for the season!  By the way, you can see a close-up shot of some of these ornaments in this post.

 

Here is another example of holiday art that comes out just for Christmas time.  Also, notice the stoic little Santa Claus hiding under the side table in the corner.  There are little touches and details everywhere!

In the front hall between the dining room and formal living room, my grandma has a basket of Christmas books she leaves out for guests and especially her grandchildren.  I recognize some of the titles as Christmas time favorites from when I was growing up and this basket is perfectly positioned for any reader, young or old, who wants to sit by the fire and read a Christmas story.

Speaking of fires, if the weather is cold enough, they almost always have a fire going in the fire place when family and friends come to visit.  My picture came out a bit blurry which makes it harder to see the details on the mantle place but it is trimmed with garland, green lights, gold beads, ornaments and red and green candles.  I love that instead of hanging stockings by the chimney with car, she has hung gold rimmed ornaments that feature Christmas scenes!

Finally, the pièce de résistance: the large Christmas tree.  This tree is trimmed more simply than the one in the family room.  It features gold and red ornaments, gold ribbon and white lights.  That's it.  But when you have a beautiful tree centered in a large bay window for all the neighbors to see, that is all you need!

So there you have it, my grandparents' home come Christmas time.  Thank you Grandma and Papa for sharing your home with me!  

Readers, what was your favorite part of their holiday decor?  Any themes or decor you would love to see in your own home?  Perhaps you too have a grandparent or parent who decorates to the nines for the holidays?  Let's hear it!