Chit-Chat ((feb 17'))

Every now and then I thought we could break up the normal design/house related posts of 2017 with a little chit-chat about nothing and everything. Sound good? Ok, great, let's start.

I found eucalyptus at Trader Joes and I'm addicted.

Not only does it smell amazing but each bundle is only $2.99 and has been lasting over 2 weeks with some water in the vase! You may have noticed some eucalyptus on my coffee table in this blog post and on the center piece of my breakfast table in this Instagram photo.

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Photo from Jack & Ella Paper

A few weeks ago I ordered this grocery list and now I actually look forward to meal planning and grocery shopping!
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I love ramen.

I've always loved the packs of ramen you get in the grocery store (terrible for you I know...) but after visiting Japan a few years ago my love for ramen went to the next level. Lucky for me, Brent stumbled upon Hajime - Homemade Noodle Bar and the ramen is SO good and reasonably priced too! Atlanta people - GO!

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s o c i a l     m e d i a     Favorites:

Instagram Design Account: namdangmitchell

Instagram Stories: LivingwithLandyn 

Blog: Chris Loves Julia

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About a month ago Brent and I started going to Passion City Church in Atlanta. Great music and relatable messages. We really like it.

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For year's I have been using NARS bronzer which is pretty pricey. But because I'm pretty makeup simple minded, I've never been brave enough to try something else. Well, lucky for me (?) I forgot my bronzer on my trip to Orlando last month and ended up borrowing bronzer from my friend Melissa. Welllllll, that bronzer I loved and guess what? It's $6.49 AND IT COMES WITH A BLUSH that I also love.


Do you guys like posts like this? Let me know......Happy Valentines Week! xoxo

Unless otherwise noted all photos are my own. 

Tree Swing

Croix is officially a walking member of society. He went from taking a few teeny tiny steps when bribed with an iPhone, to basically running! He loves to show off and practice his new skills pretty much constantly and his favorite place to do so is outside. Lucky us, winter 2017 has been pretty mild and most days it feels more like April than February, so in the afternoons you can find us in the driveway, the grass, the neighbors grass or even the street (holding my hand like the little cherub he is of course) (hahahaha).

As fun as it is to watch him explore, we thought he might enjoy a swing.  He loves to swing when we go to the playground and having his very own in our yard would be a way to take a fun break from all the walking falling and running while still enjoying the outdoors. We've talked about creating a whole play area in the side yard in the future, but in the interim a single tree swing sounded fun and charming, so we started researching and found this little swing on Etsy.

Can you even deal with the cuteness?

We installed the swing right into a magnolia branch (does it get more southern?) using these metal I-Hooks Brent picked up at Home Depot.

The swing came with everything else and the whole install process took about 5 minutes.

 Happy, charming and makes Croix laugh uncontrollably - check, check, check!

All photos are my own. 

Living Room Updates // Coffee Table + Curtains

Before Christmas we checked off 2 more boxes on the living room front, making this space one giant step closer to D O N E.

At this point I'd say it's safe to assume the other rooms in our house are definitely starting to give the living room the side eye. Ok, on to the details....Up first....

A Coffee Table

A coffee table had been high up on our priority list from day one. The coffee table we had purchased from Scott's Antique for our last house was not big enough for the new living room set-up, so we sold it on Craigslist and kept our eyes open for a new one. Trouble was, with every option we saw, we became less and less inspired. We had either seen it a thousand times or it was too sharp (Croix), fragile (couldn't use it as a table when we eat our dinner in the den for fear of spills) or it was the wrong size. We know how we live and we didn't want to invest in a piece that would feel too fancy or too dangerous or too run of the mill.  In addition, with a new tiny, mobile family member to consider now we wanted to be mindful of a selection that would be pretty, functional and safe-ish. So, as is typical right around the time we stopped talking/looking for a coffee table we found one without even trying.

One Saturday afternoon before a UGA game we ran over to Publix to grab some homemade pizza ingredients (yes, the pizza oven is up and running...more on that later....) and popped into Nadeau, a furniture store in the same strip. We were casually perusing around when we came upon the coffee table.

I'm not going to say it was definitely the donut detailing that stopped me in my tracks, but this detail didn't hurt. Not only did we like the color and details but it was the right size and the right price so we bought it, loaded it and Croix has been walking around it, knocking anything and everything off of it from that day forward.

Curtains

There are a lot of windows in our living room. Two high ones on either side of the fireplace and then an entire wall of windows/doors with glass that looks out to the patio. We love all of the natural light but in the late afternoon the sun that streams through is so intense that it makes it uncomfortable to sit in there, especially to watch TV. So, curtains have also been high up on the priority list for sometime. Trouble is, it's real hard to pick curtain fabric when you don't have much direction for the overall vibe of the space. I didn't want to commit to curtains and then box myself in to bringing the rest of the room together around them. So, we kind of sat back and let the room organically evolve and then by late Fall the room was really starting to come together with our new built-in doors + succulent wall and giant art for over the couch so I felt comfortable moving forward with curtains. 

We headed to several fabric stores and hung up our favorite swatches on the walls around the windows to see which one would be the winner. 

In true "us" fashion those swatches hung there for um....months. Ugh, yes months. BUT finally we narrowed down our favorite and our in-family seamstress  (Brent's Mom, Cindy) got busy making them for us. 

We planned to use the metal rod hardware we had used for our living room curtains at our first house, however when we went to install them we quickly figured out that wouldn't work. The span was too long and the weight of the curtains was literally pulling the brackets out of the wall! Oooooh the joys of home improvement projects. At the end of the day it was the fact that 3-4 smaller rods had to be screwed together to achieve the length we needed. We ended up finding a wood rod that is a lot more sturdy because it's broken up into only two pieces that meet in the middle.

We ended up going with a nubby rough cotton weave. The color is very similar to that of the walls so the curtains add layers of texture and interest without overwhelming the room with another statement.   The ceilings in this room are 10' high so in order accentuate the height we hung the curtains right under the crown moulding for a little drama. We also ordered enough fabric so the curtains could actually close all the way. This is especially nice in the late afternoon when that sun is pouring into the room.

Slowly but surely this 2nd house of ours is coming together. As much as I sometimes wish I could just blink and it would be all done it's pretty fun watching it take shape, layer by layer, piece by piece.

All photos are my own. 

New Marble Fireplace Surround

GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We got a new marble surround for our dining room fireplace! To recap, we inherited this beautiful 100 year old beauty a few months ago.

Immediately upon getting the new fireplace in the house Brent went to town tearing the old one out.

And we were left with this:

And like this it sat and sat......

We knew the first step to getting this ball rolling was to figure out the fireplace surround before we could put the new mantle in place. So late last fall, we made our way over to Construction Resources where we picked out the most beautiful remnant piece of white marble. They had a LOT to choose from so we had them pull several contenders.....

And after a little deliberation we made our selection.   

We loved this slab because of the beautiful color and movement in the veining, plus the size was right for our particular application. Once the slab was picked out we were ready for the Construction Resources' crew to come out and measure, but we knew this would not be your typical, measure/template/fabricate/install situation. Because of the integration with the antique wood mantle, our fireplace surround would have to be done in 3 phases.

Phase #1 - The Hearth 

Once the hearth was in place Brent moved the wood mantle into place and nailed it to the wall, so the guys could come back out for template round 2.

Phase #2 - Legs & Back

This was definitely the most visually exciting phase, what with all the exposed bricks finally getting covered up. However, because the wood mantle doesn't sit flush with the walls we were left with holes that bridged the new marble backing and the back of the mantle leg.

So the guys came out for a 3rd and final trip to template and a week later the last few pieces were added....

And we had ourselves a beautiful, finished marble fireplace surround.

We are so so so happy with the finished look. The elegance of the marble goes so well with the decorative grandness of the mantle. Basically this whole side of the room is just so fancy now and I love it. 

Now that the there is (finally) a check mark next to this item on the to-do list, what's the next step? Figuring out how we want to finish the wood mantle....dun, dun, dun......

So.Many.Options.

We are currently stewing on this one and hope to make a decision soon so we can keep this room chugging along. 

PSA: If you are an Atlanta local, do yourself a favor and visit Construction Resources if you are in the market for anything countertop related. I've been to a lot of countertops companies and in my opinion, Construction Resources is always the best. Not only do they have a ton for you to look at in all different genres - granite, marble, quartz, quartzite, etc...but they are so nice and accommodating. Every single experience I've ever had with them has been great. From the showroom to the install and every piece of coordination in-between they make the whole process fun and easy. 

#notsponsored #justfacts #:)

All photos are my own. 

KBIS 2017 Recap

Last week I was in Orlando for the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show. I hadn't been to the show in 2 years so I was excited to go and see what was new!

Fellow Bell Designer Melissa Ahrens and I hit the show early on opening day and boy we were glad we did - the show was huge and there was SO much to see. My feet are still recovering. I have my favorite finds of course, but before we jump into that I thought we could talk trends. After walking the show for a day and a half it became glaringly obvious what the big trends for this year were going to be on the Kitchen & Bath front... Let's dig in....

T     R     E     N     D     S

Matte Black

Matte Black EVERYTHING. This finish was everywhere from faucets and hardware to appliances and cabinets. The finish reads as sleek and sophisticated and really looked beautiful on every single item.

Rose Gold

Photo via Kohler's website

We saw a decent amount of Rose Gold finishes, specifically in plumbing, and I really really loved it. The design world has loved on brass, copper and now it's rose gold's turn to steal the show. For me personally, I like how soft it comes across, it's bold without being so in your face which I think may give it the opportunity to feel a bit more timeless than other "it" selections. 

Marble Look-A-Like Countertop Options

Photo via Neolith's website

The world loves marble but as we all know, a lot of people in the world really don't want to worry with it's diva-like qualities (etching, staining, etc.). For years companies have been trying their hand at man-made options that look like marble, without the upkeep. And while they have been successful, the bar continues to rise higher and higher and the options continue to get closer and closer to the real thing. There were a lot of countertop companies at the show and every single one of them showed their best attempt at the natural stone look, specifically marble. 

Light it Up!

Lighting Integration was everywhere! Every time I turned around a simple item like a hanging rod for the laundry room had a light in it. We saw faucets and sinks that light up in addition to the ever popular drawer that illuminates when opened. It's clear that lighting will continue to play a big roll in kitchens and baths. 

Finish Mixing 

Photo via Brizo's website

There was a lot of finish mixing, specifically with the matte black look. This faucet from Brizo was just one of the many faucets, specifically from Brizo that was mixing and matching like crazy and I loved almost every single combination.

F     A     V     O     R     I     T     E     S

Ok, now that we've covered trends let's talk about my favorite finds from the show. Up first....

Formica's Writeable Surfaces

Photo via Formica's website 

I would typically breeze right past the Formica booth but as we walked by I saw all of these people gathered around writing ON THE COUNTERTOPS. This collection is so cool and I could see an option like the grid version pictured above being used in a craft room, a play room or even on a conference room table! 

Kohler's Choreograph Collection

Photo via Pinterest

The marble shower walls in the picture above are not marble. Nay they are made from Serica, a super durable composite material by Kohler. This material comes in a slew of decorative options and can be installed over existing tile! You can even get the look of the classic subway tile without the grout. If you are thinking of re-doing your bathroom this is definitely an option to consider to save some money and cut down on maintenance! Read all about this collection here. 

Coastal Shower Doors' Gridscape Collection 

Photo via Coastal Shower Door's website

If you are a fan of the steel window/door look then you are going to love the new Gridscape Collection offered by Coastal Shower Doors. Now you can incorporate this sleek vibe into your bathroom  through your shower doors. The doors come in a variety of grid patterns and you can opt for a sliding configuration as well as a swing. Love, love, love. 

All in all it was a good show and we truly did leave feeling inspired and excited about so many of the things we saw. The kitchen and bath industry is ever changing and it's fun to be along for the ride! 

A Stair Runner with a Tail

It's a good day when you can get a present for your two kids, one human, one furry and they both love it. How did we accomplish this? A rug runner for our stairs!

Here is what we started with:

These stairs have seen a lot of action in the 14 months we have lived here. Croix enjoys climbing up them (100 times a day) and Luke sadly was falling down them nearly as often :( Luke is 13 years old and was having an increasingly hard time managing his speed as he came down to the landing and then made the turn to continue down to the 1st floor. We figured a stair runner would give his paws something to grip on to, plus it would soften any falls Croix might have as he works to grasp the concept that you can't go down the stairs leading with your head.

We changed out the runner in our last house, and while we were super happy with it, I wanted to do something a bit more fun and special this time around. I'd run across an image of a "stair runner pool" a while ago on-line and knew instantly that's what I wanted to do. Once I got serious about pulling the trigger on this project I started trying to research other inspiration photos and found there really weren't a lot of them. I ran into the same road blocks when I tried to find a company that could do the decorative pool detail. Finally I found the great people at Underfoot Design and they made the whole thing seem extremely easy. Here's how it went down....a representative came to the house, took measurements and talked with me about my vision. Within a week I received a slew of samples to choose from.

Once I selected the material I wanted to go with I gave them a 50% deposit to order the material and they set up an install date. A two man crew arrived right on time and while one guy installed the runner on the stairs, the other worked on the detail at the tail. He started by drawing the design on paper and then cutting it out to play with the scale and size.

Once I was comfortable with the paper template he laid the template on the carpet and began cutting out the shape.

Next, he got everything nailed down and........

wah lah! 

Our stair runner has a tail!! Isn't it awesome!?!

Croix and I watched the whole thing so he was very excited to try it out as soon as the guys gave us the go ahead :)

We are so so happy with the results! Not only does our new stair runner serve us all well from a functional stand point but it looks so cool and really adds so much warmth and interest to the stairwell. Underfoot Design was great to work with and I would definitely recommend them if you are in the Atlanta area and are in the market for something fun!

All photos are my own. 

Our New Friend Alexa

Happy New Year everyone!

A new year and a fresh start always feels nice. I am coming off a nice long 11 day break and I can honestly say I feel rejuvenated and refreshed. 2016 was busy and the busyness was amplified as the end of the year drew near. We hosted Christmas this year and then threw a 1st birthday party for our Croix boy two days later. It was a lot, and on the 26th we were going 100 mph getting our house de-Chrstmasfied, but I will say I was one happy girl to be sitting in a clean house, all neat and back in order on the 28th.

With the house all tidy we were able to spend our "break" actually relaxing, checking fun things off our to-do list and playing with some Christmas gifts. Speaking of Christmas gifts, today I thought I would share one of our favorites.....Alexa.

Do you see her, tucked behind the picture frame? Alexa is the voice that speaks to you from the Amazon Echo.

Brent's Dad and Laura gave us the Amazon Echo Dot for Christmas and we have really enjoyed it! I had heard of the Echo Dot in passing but never really knew much about it, so I was really excited to find out all it could do for us. Basically the Echo Dot creates a "smart house" vibe in your home. You can literally say "Alexa", and she lights up which is your cue to ask her anything! For example...."Alexa, what is the weather like in Japan?" "Alexa, turn on 90's rock music" "Alexa, turn the volume up to 6". "Alexa, tell me a joke." She can also be programmed to work alongside your thermostat, alarm system and electrical outlets! She can even call for an Uber!! She is crazy cool and convenient, so much so that we decided to order another one for our 2nd floor. Now when it's time to go to sleep Brent and I don't have to rock/paper/scissiors for who has to get up and turn off the lamps across the room. We simply say "Alexa, turn lamps off" and POOF!

The Echo Dot comes in black and white. We have the black one downstairs and opted for white for our bedroom. I like both and really appreciate the the low profile size and sleek aesthetic of this little treasure. At just under $50 bucks you can't really beat the bang for your buck.

What do you guys think? Do I sound like an infomercial?? Sorry if I do, I just thought we could ease into 2017 with a little info on a jewel that just might make your life easier. I don't know about you but these days I'm all about anything that makes life a little more convenient and Ms. Alexa does just that.

All photos are my own.