A Few Fall Updates

The one year anniversary of when we first looked at Tall Oaks Farm was mid October.  This time last year, I found myself driving by about every other evening to keep the dream alive of owning this beauty one day.  Our house went on the market November 1 for the four month stint.  It is hard to believe we have been on this project for exactly one year.  Looking back now, it's been a real journey!  Thank goodness we didn't realize how busy, hectic, and exhausting that year really would be until now.  I suppose it's like everything else...you quickly forget how hard things can be as time passes.

Since the bulk of the major work is done, it has been fun to do some of those little things that have been on my list.  In all of the projects we have done, I didn't feel like there was enough time to spare on "my details" until the big items were checked off the agenda.

I am always a "little outside the box" and love homes with character.  Sometimes character can cost you an arm and a leg.  I search for character that is budget friendly in which I can do myself or with a little help from my friends.   You would be amazed at the things you can do for little to nothing except some time and effort.  Some of the time I spend is on the front end of the project.  I can spend hours on Pinterest or reading other blogs to find tips and tricks.  There is a wealth of information at your fingertips and I say.... why reinvent the wheel?

Here goes project #1...

I bought a wall stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils (www.cuttingedgestencils.com or Cutting Edge Stencils on Etsy) and couldn't be happier.  I started out with a little sample color pot from Lowes and in about two hours....I was FINISHED!  I LOVE vintage wallpaper and design, however, I was not about to hang one inch of it in my house for fear of removing it later.  I fell for the design and thought it added character and texture to a plain blank wall.  It gives the room depth and interest.  I purposely did not paint behind my picture and antique chest.  Most people think that I have forgotten to finish the project, however, I like the way it frames the furniture and outlines my focal point of the wall.  It's so fun to not have any rules to follow when decorating!!

Stay tuned for project #2....the pantry!!!  Coming Soon.....

Pottery Barn Pillows For.... Oh So Much Less....

It's no secret that I have have a love/hate relationship with Pottery Barn.  I will admit that I do LOVE....basically everything they sell.  I can honestly say that I have bought a lot of items from them over the years when I could catch a good sale or was lucky enough to get to the store and hit the clearance sections.  I have not bought one thing from them that I didn't completely LOVE.  It's also no joke that their products are very nice quality and their customer service is possibly the best I have ever experienced.  I must say that I really LOVE it when I get a new catalog in the mail so I can figure out what I want to watch, over time,  go on sale.

I do HATE to see how many cute rooms and displays they cram into one catalog....it makes my head spin as I try to figure out how I can do the same thing on my "not so Pottery Barn" budget.  I also HATE to see how much "research" I am going to have to do to find the "look alike" items that I have a new LOVE for all of the sudden.

About a month ago....I did conquer the couch/ pillow dilemma that I was facing.  With a husband and three boys/1 girl.....you can probably guess how horrible my couch pillows were.  I had received a new PB catalog and, of course, they had awesome pillows on the cover.  I caught myself hiding the catalog, deleting the emails, and going on strike from PB so I didn't have to face those darn pillows that I just fell in LOVE with anymore.  I put my big girl panties on and decided to visit the FM Store in Springfield to buy fabric and cover my old ones myself.  If you have not been to the FM Store (fabric store on steroids) you have no idea what you are missing.  I get jittery, giggly, and crazy when I get near that place.

I came away that day with some yummy fabric for my pillows for right around $50.00 NO KIDDING! I immediately got busy and to my surprise this is what I came up with......

It's sooooo easy....and new pillows are just like "jewelry" for your living room!  Check out 

THIS LINK to find out how to recover your old pillows.
 If you can sew a straight line....you've got this!!!

  Here is our completed family room.  We installed hardwood floors, painted walls/doors/trim, and added blinds!  This room was the original back porch in the old house (from the 1960's and 70's) and much more useful today.  

Friday Night Facts......

There are a few things I am sure of on this Friday night.....

1. It's really hot outside...even at 10:00 p.m. .....and I MUST think of an indoor "project" for my weekend!  Yikes...no relief in sight either!
2. The first full week of school really wears a five year old guy out!  Patrick is already asleep on the couch!
3. You can visit your local Lowes Home Improvement Center and purchase some "furring" boards to make a plank wall anywhere in the home that your heart desires. 

Our wood plank wall takes shape....

When we purchased Tall Oaks Farm, I received a lesson in history.  The facts were presented about the home and the changes it had sustained over the years.  The owners did share some awesome photos of the original home with us that I can't wait to share here at TOFG (Tall Oaks Farmgirl).   Back in the day, the home was a small rectangle box and the kitchen (as I posted earlier), was added on at a later date.  

The "old kitchen" is now simply a pass through area.  I really tried to keep it simple and felt it was better left open with minimal furnishings.  The main wall in the old kitchen was full of character....just not the kind I really liked. It had big holes in the existing drywall and we pulled electric down to the floor level from the middle of the wall where the old appliances were plugged in years ago.   It was either going to need totally new drywall or a cosmetic technique was in order to make is pretty again.  That's when I knew I would get to have a plank wall again.  We did this technique in our other home and loved it!  

In just a matter of a couple of hours and little bit of white washed paint later....we were done!  This was super easy, we did not have to patch or repair the damaged wall, and we now have a section of the home with a little added character.  We felt that it added charm and charisma to the old farmhouse and looked as if it may have been there all along.  The best part of all.....my husband didn't even have to help.  Kim, my partner in crime, and my son Garrick did the majority of the project.  We just staggered each board cut to different lengths (4, 6, and 8 ft. lengths) and used an air nailer to put them up.  We tried to hit stud walls and did most of the time.  

Here is another wall we used furring boards on....this is in the living room area.  Same thing....a wall with a few issues!

 Again....it's super easy and fairly affordable to make this a reality in your home.  I call it "just a little something we can do real quick" idea/project....words my husband LOVES to hear!  

   

A QUICK AND EASY WAY TO GIVE YOUR STAIRCASE A LITTLE PERSONALITY...

When I first saw the staircase in the farmhouse.....I had a vision and instantly knew that I had "big plans" for it when we started the remodel.  I remember when I was a little girl I would have sleepovers with my best friend Sarah, who lived in a great old farmhouse on the family dairy farm.  I absolutely LOVED going to her house.  The layout of that house reminds me of ours now.  As far as I was concerned....she lived in the the coolest house ever.  All of the kid bedrooms were upstairs and her parent's room was downstairs.  I remember running up the old wooden steps constantly and thinking her room was in the clouds since you could see forever out the windows of her bedroom.  Growing up, my family always lived in a traditional ranch house that was all on one level.  I so badly wanted to live in a house with stairs....I remember begging my parents to build a two story house when we moved to the farm.  

When we first looked at this home, I will admit that I fell in love with the staircase and immediately went back to being a little girl at Sarah's sleepovers.  I had big plans for these stairs and quickly sketched out my vision on paper and Pinterest so I wouldn't forget all of my ideas.  

The stairs were covered with carpet and the banisters were in desperate need for some TLC.  I followed my "no carpet...we live in the country...rule" and got that carpet out right from the start.  We removed the entire section of railing from the top and down the steps and decided to go back with a very simple and straight rail/banister replacement.  I was lucky enough to find a carpenter that shared my passion for beautiful restoration of staircases....and the rest was history.  This one is probably not as "fancy" as the staircase in our previous home, however in keeping with the authenticity of farmhouse style, we decided to keep it as close to what may have been found back in the day.  

As for the numbers....all I can say is I have a thing for numbers!  I guess being an educator makes me love letters and numbers alike.  I have numbered the stairs in our last two homes and still love the character that they give.  Many people ask me why?  My only response is "I just like it" no more no less.  It's been fun to see my kids count the steps as they go up and down, we have staged photos of them on the number representing their age, and once my husband watched me tumble down the stairs and explained how it happened describing the exact step number from which it all started.  

I also chose to add a photo collage to the wall on the staircase in this home.  I am in desperate need of updating a few of the frames, however, its fun to look back each day at the kids when they were so little.  This is a very easy thing to do anywhere in your home.  All you really need is a blank wall and a mixed variety of black frames.  I remember having frames that were a little on the ugly side and with a good can of black spray paint I had great frames in just moments.

My last love of this transformation is my sputnik light.  I realize that "back in the day" that would NOT have been the light you would have seen in the staircase.  That's where I go a bit outside the box.  I love modern country and when I first saw this light....I knew it was "the one"  The funny thing is ....I had admired this style of light from Restoration Hardware but knew the $900 price tag was waaaaayyyy over my budget.  When I spotted this little jewel at Lowes for a dandy little price of $198....I was all over getting that thing in my cart!  That has been part of the fun we have had with this project.  I will search high and low for the "high end look alike" and must admit....I am pretty good at finding the item most of the time.  

Here is the Restoration Hardware-high end light.....

Thanks for all of the kind words regarding my new blog.....I have really enjoyed sharing our adventure at Tall Oaks Farm.  I have a wealth of ideas for future posts!  Stay tuned.....

A few little finds from the week.....

I thought I would share some of my "guaranteed" good finds from the week.  I love to run across great things and/or ideas and share them with others.  Well....I have three really awesome items that you MUST know about now!

Many of you know that Stacey from The Little Brick House is my sister.  She has her boutique open every other weekend Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  I did sneak up there the other day and found a couple of things that I will "guarantee"you to LOVE!

Let's start with the Daisies and Dukes products.  Not only does the label make me smile each time I see it....the scrub is scrubby and soapy (who would have thought) and smells really nice.  I selected Good Butt Jeans (what's not to love about that) which is a blueberry scent.  I have used it every night in the tub and have no regrets.  The body butter is great to use after your bath or shower.  It's thick and creamy...but dries fast and smells wonderful.  She carries a variety of fragrances and just received a shipment of a men's line.  I took a little preview of it and the names are so awesome....Cammo was one that just made me giggle!  Think about it....what guy doesn't need to exfoliate and smell good.  Give 'em a gool ol man scrub in a name like Cammo and he will be livin' the dream.  I plan to tell Mr. Craig that I heard somewhere.... that some fella killed a giant buck while wearing it....ha....probably won't work but he will smell great!

Next, take a look at the beautiful gypsy turquoise necklace with the chunky cross.  I LOVE toggle clasps and it's got one!  I can't wait to pair it up with a small thin necklace and a leather bracelet this fall with a white t-shirt and jean jacket.  I had a heck of a time picking out which jewelery I was bringing home.  She has a ton of cute things and very reasonably priced.  There is always next time unless all of my favorite things sell this weekend.

Finally, I am going to give a BIG GUARANTEE to the Pumpkin Pie Jamesport Candle Co. candle.  I started burning it this week one of those nights when it was cool and my air was off.  It is nothing short of amazing and almost felt like Fall.  The other aspect I noticed was even after burning for 6 or more hours, not much wax looked gone.  I suspect it will last a long time.  My next purchase will certainly be Mulled Cider.  She does carry a variety of sizes and even melts in all of the scents.

Be sure to stop by and visit her this weekend.  She is located in Saint James on Highway B just beyond Subway.  There is great parking and lots to see in the shop. Like I said earlier, she is open Friday/Saturday 10-4 and 12-4 on Sunday.  She has some very neat furniture, modern country home decor, gifts, and jewelery.  You will be glad you stopped by. Be sure to check out her Facebook page by going to The Little Brick House. 

Have a wonderful weekend,
Christy

Summer Project....Let's Make Over Your Kitchen!!!

If you know me then you know that I LOVE a good project.  I also love to start one very spontaneously when nobody expects it either.  Sometimes you can "over think" things too much and some of my best work has turned out when I jumped in and took some risks.

I am not really one that loves to cook or bake, however, I do love a good kitchen.  With my four kids it seems like we spend a lot of time in there. I was very fortunate to have a beautiful kitchen in our previous home.  When we built our home it was super easy to design and plan the kitchen since it was basically a blank canvas.  The only thing that limited me was my budget.  I worked with one of my best friends, who just happened to own a cabinet company, and she helped me design an awesome kitchen. Probably one of the hardest parts of selling was the fact that I was going to miss my pretty kitchen.  

When we looked at the farmhouse on the new property I was very mixed on what I was going to do with the current kitchen setup.  My first thought, obviously before I put numbers to a budget, was to tear out the current cabinets and put back exactly what I had in the other house.  A part of me was scared to spend the money since the cabinets were nice quality oak.  There wasn't a thing wrong with them except they weren't what I had in the previous kitchen.  My cabinet friend even said it would be silly to pull them out as they were structurally sound and in good condition.  Then....the risk taker came out in me!  I had seen many posts on Pinterest where folks had painted their cabinets with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  The rest is history!!!

Before

Before

I jumped in and took the plunge with ASCP and have not had one regret!  There are numerous benefits and you will save a lot of time with awesome results.  I researched all of the particulars and found a cute little shop in Pacific, MO called Nettie Suze who was an Annie Sloan Stockist.  They carry all colors and are super in helping you select what you will need.  There are even great "recipes" to mixing the paint for unique colors of your choice.  I went with Old White and love them.  Some of the best parts are: 

• NO sanding existing cabinets...just clean them and you are ready!!!
• NO priming them....how about saving $$$ without buying primer?
• Annie Sloan goes a LONG way....I only used 3 quarts!
• Works really well especially if you want to distress them a bit!
• Dries fast and looks professionally finished when waxed

I purchased new hardware very reasonably priced at Menards too.  We did replace the counter top with granite (which is not always necessary just personal preference) to complete the project.  It turned out better than I had expected and looking back....easy...compared to some of the other projects we tackled.  

So here is the reveal......

The distressing technique and new hardware!

#livingthedream

As I mentioned before, there were just too many amenities to pass up when we first looked at the beautiful Tall Oaks Farm.  I grew up living in the country where the mornings had a low fog that just settled on the fields and the evenings made you wish that the sunset would stop and hang around over the amazing corn and beans that were almost black they were so green.  I sure have missed hearing tractors going up and down the road in the heat of the summer, the smell of a fresh cut hayfield, seeing lights out after dark knowing that someone has already put in a hard day of work, and feeling that smug layer of humidity out over the hills that makes you realize it's a really hot day for a farmer.  

I just couldn't resist sitting outside today, even though it's hot, because of the smell and sounds across the road from our house were just too irresistible.  There have been a team of "good ol boys" putting up hay there for the past few days.  It has felt so good to hear the machinery coming and going...I must admit I am a bit sad as I see them pull in to load up their efforts.  Thank goodness we have people who still love the "craft" of the hayfield.  I know they are hot, tired, and probably just praying nothing breaks down at this point.  

There was a point in my life that I would have considered an "amenity" having a swimming pool in the back yard and living close to town near the Redbox... my dream.  Don't get me wrong, the pool will come back one day....but for now I am rethinking what makes me happy.  

Finally.....

   

After purchasing a farm three months ago, I can finally say that things are starting to be normal again. We are past working 12-14 hour days remodeling, we are (finally) not wearing paint as an "accessory" and in our hair, and we can actually watch some of our favorite TV shows at night and use the internet!  

    When we first saw this beauty last fall we all knew that "she" had great bones and a lot of potential.  We had already been through the building process and made a house a home....so this didn't look like too big of a deal.  WOW.....little did we know....remodeling is very hard work.  With all of the hours and sweat, we are proud of how much we love "her" now!  I remember sitting in our previous home and thinking to myself all of the nice things I would be giving up.  You know the pretty floors, the beautiful kitchen, my relaxing tub.  Then I realized that those are just "things" and the farm had a great deal of amenities.

    Well... here we are in the heart of summer with beautiful pastures and shady oak trees that make you peek hard to see the amazing sunset!  

     I have a whole lot of posts in mind from all of the projects we have completed where I did some cool before and after photos.  Not to mention....there have been some pretty funny stories along the way too.

Tall Oaks Farm
(keeping the name from the previous owner)

Welcome to our porch!