House Tour: Guest Room Suite

There are so many things I love about our home, and at the top of my list is the fact that it has 3 bedrooms and 3 FULL baths.  Not only is this great for a young family, but it also means that it will be an ideal rental if we end up moving and keeping this home as an investment property (as we have with our condo).  

Considering the fact that we have a one year old, we don't have that many overnight guests...but occasionally this room is put to good use.  I really try to keep our guest room suite from becoming a catch all but it's not always easy.  I took these photos the last time we had friends over and the room was straight.  Take a look!

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"Clean and cozy" is what I think of when I see this room.  

I have switched the bedding out a few times. I've settled on this quilt because I think it makes the room light and airy.  The trunk with the orange pillows on top is full of old photo albums and yearbooks.  The bathroom has a pocket door, which I love because it's saves space.

This closet is where my wedding dress is stored.

This is my desk (which I clear when we have guests) and it was my grandmothers.  I have been on the search for a chair that will work with it, but for now I am using an old one.  I have a framed print from our wedding guestbook on the desk, as well as a sprig of cotton from our Christmas Card escapade.

The guest bath is actually the only room in our house that we didn't paint.  It's a pale yellow color and it looked fresh so we didn't waste time on it.  The only thing we did to this room was change out the mirror. We will eventually replace the light fixture and vanity in this room, but for now it works just fine.  

 I also want to change out the hook and add a towel rack.

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SOURCES:

Brass bed: Estate Sale

Vintage Tobacco Baskets: Eclectic Finds

Window and Shower Curtains, Bathroom Mirror: Homegoods

Everything else in this room I've had for years, but if you happen to have any questions I'd be happy to try and answer!

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BEFORE PHOTOS

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BEFORE AND AFTER:

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Thanks for visiting!

xLaura

Our Weekend

 This weekend was great!  We had a night out on Friday for our church's annual Oyster Roast.  It was such a good time.

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On Saturday we took EB to Workshop so she could run around like a crazy woman while we had a beer before dinner.  

K grilled mahi mahi for dinner.

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We spent Sunday over on Sullivan's and then took EB to visit with her great grandfather.

I made chicken nachos for dinner and there you have it!

xLaura

Friday Highfive

 We really enjoyed being outside this week! The weather was great...I even dusted off the old jogging stroller and ran the greenway twice...which I haven't done since early December. Oy.  But it felt good.  Here is a highfive for making it to Friday!

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{1}

I'll be honest, summer temps in February: I'm not really a fan.  BUT, at least EB is getting to wear some of her 18 month summer clothes that she will be growing out of soon!

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{2}

We had a playdate at Charlestowne Landing this week.  I hadn't been since I was a child and was so disappointed to see the colonial village gone.  That was always my favorite part.  

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{3}

EB and I had fun yesterday at Hampton Park.  We fed the geese and then had a picnic under the oaks.  This is another place I remember fondly from my own childhood.  Did you know there used to be a zoo in Hampton Park?

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{4} 

I ordered this bonnet for EB's Easter Basket this week.  It's from a London based boutique, Childrens Salon.  When I was placing the order, the system kept glitching with payment.  I tried several times with both my card and K's.  Come to find out, placing orders overseas indicates a "fraud alert" to banks and you have to authorize the transaction.  So, I created quite the debacle of phone calls that afternoon.  But it's traveling the ocean to me right now, and I can't wait to see her wear it!  

Oh!  I also followed April's tip and ordered this fun towel for her basket as well.

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{5}

We are headed out to Gold Bug Island for an Oyster Roast tonight.  We haven't been out there in a few years and it's always a treat.  

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I hope y'all have a good one!

xLaura

"Best Of" Updates

Hi, Happy Wednesday!

I wanted to quickly share that I updated my "Best Of" page with the remainder of my favorite posts from 2016, 2017, and thus far in 2018!  It was a lot of fun looking back through some of the milestone posts over the last couple of years...not to mention chuckling at some of my own 2011/2012 moments.

Feel free to check it out!

xLaura

Our Weekend

I hope you had a nice weekend.  Ours was great!  

On Friday, my mom and I took EB down to the Aquarium for the morning.  Here is a comparison of her last August to now.  EB had fishsticks for the first time on Friday.  I thought it would be a fun dinner for her and I was right.  She LOVED them.  

On Saturday morning I scooted down the street to meet the girls for some playground fun.  Charleston mommas: the Ashley River Baptist playground is one of my favorites!

 Later, after EB's nap, she and I headed to my friend Britt's baby shower.  Her little girl Finley will be here soon! 

 For dinner, K grilled chicken kabobs and I made "crack broccoli" and boxed scalloped potatoes.

On Sunday we went to church, and then for a mosey around SEWE in Marion Square.  The sun would not come out, but otherwise it was a nice time...atleast for one of us ;)

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We ended the weekend with a family Target trip (K's favorite) to pick out a convertible carseat.  I am having a hard time with this choice because they all seem great!

It's currently between the Chicco Myfit and the MaxiCosi 70.

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That's a wrap!

Have a great week.

xLaura

Friday Highfive: Valentine's Day

 Happy Friday!! This week was really SWEET!

Here's a highfive for making it to the weekend!

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{1} 

EB had a Valentine's playdate with Charlie at the Charleston Museum's "Toddler Time".  They were absolutely adorable together.

{2}

She enjoyed checking out all of the taxidermy in the classroom.  Here she is trying to give Mr. Fox a kiss.  She leans in and goes "Mmmmmm" when she wants a smooch.  

 {3}

C's mom brought the babes a sweet treat and EB devoured it.  Look at my sack of sugar:

{4}

Afterwards, we were able to catch the noon Ash Wednesday service at church.

 {5}

And then it was home for naptime.  We spent the afternoon playing in the backyard.

 

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K picked up Basil takeout and a bottle of Whispering Angel for a special night at home.

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Have a great weekend!  It's SEWE here in Chas, so it's going to be a busy one around town.

xLaura

Friday Highfive

TGIF, y'all!  Here is a highfive for making it through the week!

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{1}

EB is quite the artist these days.  She had a lot of fun with chalk on the back porch...

{2}

And with paint at the Children's Museum.  We are obviously still working on 'tasting' everything.

{3}

My uncle made these wrought iron "orbs" for us for Christmas and we hung them on our front porch last weekend.  I think I am going to wrap some solar lights inside for a bit of twinkle at night...hopefully they will stand out a bit more as they are currently blending in to the window.

{4}

Here we are on our way out the door!  We had a family lunch this week down at Workshop.  This was such a kid friendly spot, lots of safe space for them to run.  We stayed in the food court area, but I can definitely see us returning for a few beers at Edmunds Oast Brewing this Spring.

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{5}

 I shared my "recipe" for oven chicken parm nearly 7 YEARS ago...but I made it again this week and it remains a fave.

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We have a fun weekend ahead!  I am looking forward to the Parade of Nations tonight, my sis-in-laws baby shower tomorrow, and then church and brunch on Sunday.

I hope y'all have a great one!

xLaura

Friday Afternoon at the Pig

This is a post in search of any information on this painting, "Friday Afternoon at the Pig".

I have scoured the internet with as many search phrases I could think of, but have come up empty handed.  

I saw this print at an antique shop in Charleston about a year ago.  I was not willing to spend $275 (the listed price) because the owner couldn't tell me anything about  it, only that she found it at an estate sale.  I visited it many times, but the price never went down.  K agreed to offer $150, for my first Mother's Day gift, but it was sold when he returned.

I can not make out the artist's name or even the number of prints, and I've had zero luck in my own investigative research. 

I am posting in the hopes that someone may respond, perhaps the artist has set a google alert on his painting titles?? Fingers crossed!
xLaura

House Tour: Dining Room

Here is a HUGE highfive for making it to Friday.  This week was rough over here, EB has had a gnarly stomach bug and we have been hunkered down.  

On the plus side, being stuck at home all week allowed me to put the finishing touches on our dining room, take some photos, and now post them here.

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Ok first of all, these are unfiltered, unprofessional photographs, if you can believe that ;)  But in all seriousness, I feel like I should say that because, in the instagram and blog world, everything is so staged and choreographed nowadays, that looking at "real life" images can feel underwhelming.  Not to go off on a tangent, but I am still most interested in real life posts, both reading and sharing them.

So!  Here is our "real life" dining room.  

And as always, sources and before photos can be found at the end of the post.

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I like to think that my interior design style is eclectic traditional...and I feel this room embodies that pretty well!  Here is the view from the front door.  The tan rug on the left is our interior door mat, and the sliver of a door you see is our coat closet immediately on your left when you walk in.  

EB's Dubose print hangs front and center in a special bamboo frame.  

It was hard to get the lighting right in these photos.  Perhaps it was the wrong time of day, but anyway, this is walking into the room.  Straight ahead is the kitchen and to the right, through the pass-through, you can catch a glimpse of our island leading into the family room.  One thing to mention, my mom and I found this china cabinet at an estate sale for a steal.  It was such a beautiful piece that we bought it before measuring the intended wall.  Well, as you can see, it literally fits perfectly!!  Furniture fate <3

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Ok, I stood on a stool for this pic.  Dear Lord. 

It's just that I  wanted to show y'all the pass-through window and chandelier at a better angle.  

You can see EB's silhouette and my topsy turvy dolls on the shelf.

I love this light fixture.  The shine of the chrome and the burlap shades embody the "classic with a twist" look that I love.

 I had to jump on that (faux) fiddle leaf fig trend!  Truth is I can't keep a dog, a baby, and houseplants happy at the same time, so something had to give.

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SOURCES
Table: Yard sale, chalk painted off-white
Chairs:  Eclectic Finds
Vase on table: Vietri
Rug: World Market
China Cabinet: Estate Sale
Curtains: Tuesday Morning ($5.00!)
Artwork: CSA Galleries (now closed), Lena Bengston,  Dubose
 Ginger Jar: Estate Sale
Topsy Turvy Dolls: Eclectic Finds
Chandelier: Lowes
Porcelain planter: Estate Sale
Artificial Plant: Michael's
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BEFORE:

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Summary:  We painted this room top to bottom, replaced the light fixture and added a dimmer switch, and then it was all about decor.  This room is one of my favorite in the house because it is totally ME.

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Have a great weekend!
xLaura