Well, you know that saying about how you can make god laugh?  Tell him YOUR plans. Apparently the above was one giant joke. NONE of it would come to fruition. I've been married 11 years, but I found out about 3 years ago that my  husband hates home improvement projects and when we first tried to do projects he was miserable and it always ended in a fight.  To add insult to injury, both of our parents became incredibly busy with their own projects.  My in-laws started and currently run a farmers market and my parents are vendors at a farmers market, both ventures take up 100% of their time from May-October.  

So, 4 years ago when I walked into this house I didn't see:

~ almond color appliances - I saw stainless steel appliances

~ square kitchen tiles, really? why couldn't they be subway? - I saw an awesome backsplash

~ leaf print laminate countertops - I saw granite or honed marble countertops

~ stark white walls - I saw warm hughes with beautiful pieces of art

~ functional doorways and window - I saw decorative molding and trim

~ functional/minimal base boards - I saw tall substantial looking baseboards

~ old levelor 1" blinds - I saw plantation shudders

~ outdated faux oak ceiling fans (there were 8 of them!) - I saw bronzed or silver updated light fixtures

~ almond color kitchen sink with old faucet - I saw a deep stainless steel sink with updated faucet

~ weird single beams in our bedroom - I saw thick beams with large bronzed bolts

~ brass hardware on every door and cabinet- I saw oil rubbed bronze hinges and pulls on all the doors (oh and the doors needed to be replaced/updated as well)
~ unfinished 1,000 sq.ft. basement - I saw a lg. family room and another bathroom. Laundry/craft room and theater room. 

The list could go on and on.....

For  a while there I felt a little deceived, foolish and stuck.  Stuck in a house that was far from what I envisioned and left with no resources (except my 2 hands) to get all the grand projects in my head finished (not to mention I had 3 younger kids, a demanding church calling, I still volunteer too much at my kids school and we had and have lots of extra curricula activities).

Without sounding too dramatic or ungrateful, I was pretty sad and bummed out about it.  I was stuck in a late 80's looking, 'diamond in the rough house' all day every day with the constatnt visual reminder of how naive I was.  It's still hard sometimes, but I decided one day that even though I can't do any of the big projects above, the ones that require expertise and a lot of $$, I  CAN do small improvement projects that make a big difference.

I am NO expert and I'm NO perfectionist, I'm pretty good at looking at something and saying, "good enough".  I think if a contractor ever saw what I did they'd be mortified.  But I've done most of it on my own, with limited knowledge and no experience.  

There are a hand full of projects (big ones) that we had help on and I will give props to those who helped us when we get to those projects.  I am going to start blogging about these small home improvement triumphs.  Triumphs achieved with my limited knowledge, expertise, time and funds.

In the words of Andy Dwyer from Parks & Rec:

"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. 

I read that one on a can of lemonade. 

I like to think it applies to life."

YUMMY RECIPE!

I'm sure you've heard me talk about my mom, the fabulous cook.  I remember people talking about my mom's good cooking even as a child.  I also remember being very unadventurous when it came to eating as a kid.  My mom was always experimenting with new and fancy recipes and all I wanted was "yellow" mac&cheese" (Kraft brand).  If my mom made mac & cheese it was always homemade and lacked that dark orange color, which now I know was a good thing, but back then it just meant boring and homemade.  

I also didn't know they sold things in the store like box cake mix, ready made pie crust, brownie mix, pie fillings etc. until I got to college and began cooking for myself.  If my mom made anything it was from scratch (including the noodles in chicken noodle soup).

So I am going to pass along a delicious recipe she posted on her website on how to make French Macarons.   

  

OK, it's about time I change my blog post so that my "soap box" moment isn't the latest post.  Soap box  moments are therapeutic and fun but let's be honest, what do I know!?  The more I learn (through lots of trial and error) the less I know. The paradox of life.

So back to more interesting things... like ??? lavender?

Lavender has been a recurring theme in my life these last 4 years or so.  I've had a long relationship with it, full of ups and downs.  I first fell in love with it's beauty, aroma and history.  I then realized how high maintenance it was as I got tired of planting and weeding it. I then became jealous of it as it took my parent's time and energy away from the family....

RED DOOR

YELLOW DOOR

 OVER THE GARAGE PERGOLA

Garage door hardware 

that gives a Carriage House look

I have always, always, erred on the side of eclectic.  I am like this in the way I dress and the way I decorate.  I'm sure it stems from my past life when I used to peruse the Parisian flee markets and thrift stores with my parents searching for antique pieces of furniture to add to their collection.  The idea of going to an RC Willey type store and buying matching furniture seemed boring and sad.  Where is the fun in that?  There's no hunt, no satisfaction in unearthing an old undiscovered treasure.  I'm digressing....  when you are at a flee market in Europe you are not concerned with the finish on the handle of the old 17th century buffet or armoir, or the metal finish on an exquisite lamp.  One is brass, the other iron or some other metal, who cares. right?  You still put them all in the same room together without a second thought.

(Paris flee market photos courtesy of Colour Luxury)

Since purchasing our first home I have discovered "rules" people have regarding decorating.  My husband and I had a friend and his family over the other night.  This individual is an excellent craftsman and lives in a beautiful home in a wealthy area up the rode.  He did 90% of the work on his home, and it is gorgeous!  So when they came over I was very interested in his opinion on what we could do to upgrade ours.

(Paris flee market photos courtesy of Colour Luxury)

His answer was not what I expected.  He said that when he goes in a home the first thing he looks at is the finishes on fixtures (light fixtures, door handles, hinges, knobs etc.) and if they match that tells him that the owner has taken great care in the building or remodeling of the home.  WHO KNEW!?   I've never really thought of that before. It was definite food for thought.

(above photo courtesy of Addicted 2 Decorating)

After much thought, I agree with our friend.  Since I live in reality now and am not buying antiques I should probably follow the standard rule, in my 20th century home.  Thank goodness for smart friends with good taste. ;)