{Chalkboard Paint}

When I initially designed the interior of our house, I had planned on painting all of the interior doors a smooth, charcoal lacquer.  Then, when we actually got the HUGE, solid walnut doors, I decided to stain them.  But I still LOVE the look of black interior doors.

We have a solid steel door that connects our side entrance to the attached garage that I use daily.  It's magnetic and such a great little spot to put our calendars, girls artwork, etc.  (Eventually, I will put a desk next to this door to serve as our 'command station'.)

Months ago, I convinced hubby to paint it with black chalkboard paint.  He loved the idea so much, that he promptly went out and bought the paint.  And then...I had second thoughts.  I mean, painted white, it looks so bright & clean (except that it isn't so 'clean' from the scratches)...

Black is such a commitment, which isn't easy to turn back from...and it seems like everyone is painting things with chalkboard paint!

The little can of chalkboard paint got tucked away into a drawer and sat for MONTHS.

Then, I suddenly got the urge to just do it...paint it.  I called hubby and told him I wanted it done...now.  And the fact that he came home from work that evening and immediately painted that door, proves that he really wanted to do it all along.  Now that it's done...I LOVE it!  It's functional AND I got a black door.

The frame is just a cheapie from Michael's, which I spray painted gold and glued 8 ceramic magnets on the back of it.  I'm in the process of making some fun, fabric-covered magnets for the girls calendars, etc.

I'll be sharing some other projects in this little side entrance soon...

But, if you decide to jump on the chalkboard wagon, don't forget to 'season' your new chalkboard.

Hmmmm....what else can I paint chalkboard???  I'm thinking the home office needs a new look...

Grayce Lane: Playroom (part 1)

So we moved into Grayce Lane just over a year ago.  I have slowly been making final decisions on furniture & designs.  I've been getting side-tracked with other projects, so by the time I get back to Grayce Lane, I've either forgotten what I was working towards or changed my mind altogether.  This is not a problem for me though...we are settled and here to stay, so I have all the time in the world to finish this house (albeit, the sooner the better, right?).

I will be showing you peeks at finished spaces here at Grayce Lane, but thought it would be fun to show a portion of the progress as I finish some of these spaces.

First up...the girls' playroom.

To give you some background on the room...
It is at the bottom of the stairs into our finished, walk-out basement.  Although there aren't any windows in the playroom, it does have glass pocket-doors, which allow all of the natural light from the 12, full-height windows that are in the space adjacent to them.
It is a 12'x15' room with a little 3'x4.5' nook...
We installed the outlets mid-wall, to keep them out-of-reach (they are the new, code-required outlets that have the child-proofing inside them)...

Here's the room in December 2012 (3 months into construction):

image my own

Here it is in February 2011:

image my own

March 2011...the pocket doors went in:

image my own

April 2011 (move-in day!!!):

image my own

So, don't ask me WHAT I was thinking with that horrible yellow/gold paint color (and believe me, this was not the only room that had a bad experience...I'll share the others later).  I blame it on my lack of sanity (that's putting it nicely) from living 170 miles away from hubby & this house with our 2 girls in our tiny beach house for 8 months...all while trying to design & finish Grayce Lane and maintain some semblance of a normal routine...it was crazy...to say the least!  :)


I have since, repainted and added some storage (thanks, IKEA) and FINALLY finished my design for this room.  I am going to take full advantage of the 15 full, free hours I get this week to get these ideas finished!

Here's the BEFORE:

image my own

And here's my design:

image my own

I am 100% positive that hubby is going to flip out when he finds out I am painting this room again...I think as long as I don't ask him to help in any way, he'll be ok (painting is his one, absolute hated tasks...the dude will build an entire house, but will refuse to paint...that's the engineer for ya!)

The fabrics will be making appearances throughout the room.  I fell in love with these prints last year when I was designing/sewing for Miss M's bedroom.  I've been trying to figure out where I could use this colourway and was so excited to see them work in this space.

I will be making Miss M go to Home Depot with me today to stock up on spray paint & other supplies, while Miss L is at pre-school.  And then, let the fun begin!!!

Hopefully, next week, I'll be sharing the AFTER photos!

(you are welcome to use any of my photos, but PLEASE give credit to me when using them.  K? Thanks.)

Ready or not...the HOLIDAYS are here!!

This is my favorite time of year.  The changing colors outside are a reminder of changes to come in the new year ahead.  Spending these last 6 weeks of the year with family & friends (and lots & lots of yummy food & drink).

I have always found myself in a frenzied scramble preparing for Thanksgiving and then for Christmas & New Years.  Last year, I sort of got a ‘year off’ from the craziness...we were between homes...living at the beach...everything was simple & relaxed.

Then...we moved.  And the craziness resumed.  Unpacking, decorating, school, work...all of the everyday ‘stuff’ that defines CRAZY.

Fortunately, I’ve had the past several weeks to really get myself organized.

We decided to host Thanksgiving here at Grayce Lane this year.

I finished the menu...

Shopping is finished...with the exception of the ‘fresh items’, which I will purchase on Tuesday, in hopes of avoiding the masses at the grocery store (BTW...I’m really annoyed that grocery stores are open on Thanksgiving.  Come on people...get your shopping finished on/before Wednesday and let those employees spend the day with THEIR families!)

I have actually made an agenda for myself for the week as well.  Since Miss M only has school Monday & Tuesday...and half-day on Wednesday...I needed to maximize my time to the fullest.  Hopefully, I can stick to it!

So that gets me through Thanksgiving...

Now, let’s see how well I do with Christmas & New Years!

Blessings...

This is our first fall here at Grayce Lane.  One year ago, our daughters & I were living 160 miles away, while hubby remained here and built this amazing home for us.

Recently, I’ve had a few inquiries of what the name means.  So, here is an explanation of how ‘Grayce Lane’ came to be...

Very simply...Our daughters’ middle names.

Miss M’s middle name is Grace.  Miss L’s middle name is Layne.

Since we built this home for them to grow up in...we thought it was perfect to name it for them.
To play on their names, we changed the spellings...to make it more ‘address-like’, of course.

Grayce (pronounced GRACE) Lane.

Now, here’s the fascinating part...
Grayce as a girl's name is a variant of Grace (Latin), and the meaning of Grayce is "blessing".

Everyday, I am reminded of how very blessed we are. 

Guest Bedroom design

Slowly but surely I am getting each room designed...on paper, at least!

Here's the latest...one of our guest bedrooms.

 *   *   *   *   *

TODAY is a humble day for all Americans.  A day to remember...to reflect...to love & cherish...and be thankful.
A very special THANK YOU to all of the service men & women, who risk their lives everyday...and to their families for making the sacrifice of not having them here, to keep us safe.

image via laughing squid

projects galore...

So, we’ve been pretty busy around here lately.  Lots of projects...big and small...have started and will be wrapping up in the next several weeks...all of which I will share with you, just not all at once!

First up...Paint

Now that we’ve been in the house for 5 months, I’m finally getting a ‘feel’ of what I want each space to be.  Some rooms are exactly how I want them (minus some furniture) and others...well...let’s just say I’m having second thoughts.

The Girls’ bathroom:

Here is the original design board I did for it:

image my own

The vanities are in, the Carrara marble, white subway tile & tile accents are PERFECT!  The paint...not so much.  With so much white, the Pratt & Lambert “Diamond” loses the blue tone I was after.

image my own

image my own

Pratt & Lambert:  Diamond

So, this weekend, I will be making a stop at Benjamin Moore to pick up a sample of this:

Benjamin Moore:  Antiguan Sky

I’m hoping this will add a modern & fun touch to the gorgeous, feminine fixtures.

Kitchen:

Fortunately, there isn’t a lot of exposed wall space, which means not a lot of wall space to re-paint.  Unfortunately, the perimeter cabinets are a custom paint color, so finding a good ‘match’ is going to be nearly impossible.

This will be the THIRD...yes, THIRD paint color on these walls.

My first selection was a green...but I hated it once it was on the walls.

Benjamin Moore:  Jalapeno

So, my ‘safe’ choice was the same color that is on all of the hallways:

Pratt & Lambert:  Winslow Grey

But I’m leaning towards something more like these:

*   *   *   *   *

Next...Miss L’s Bedroom

I’ve had a hard time deciding what to do with this little one’s bedroom.  Miss M got new furniture and selected the fabrics she wanted in her room (she opted for aqua blues, pinks, yellows & greens...and has fabulous taste in fabric patterns & colors...gee, I wonder where she gets it from???)

image my own

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Miss L is only 2 1/2, so I wanted to do something fun, bright, modern, but simple so that we can change it later as she gets older and has her own taste.
She currently has her big sister’s hand-me-down furniture (which was my late-grandmother’s...I painted & antiqued for Miss M’s first ‘big girl’ bedroom in our last house).

image my own

I’m still working on my own design board, but here’s my inspiration photo:

image via Lonny Magazine

Loving the pink & orange combo!


So, that’s it for now...will be snapping some photos around Grayce Lane this weekend to share next week.

Stay dry & have a fab weekend!

We've been busy...

So, I've been MIA for a couple of weeks now.  There's been a lot going on here at Grayce Lane.

Our driveway project is complete (photos soon).  Landscape plans are under way.  The outdoor patio areas will be underway soon.  Bathroom vanities were delivered & installed and the countertops arrived yesterday.  Whew!

Oh, in the midst of all of this, the fiberoptic cable, which provided our phone/internet/cable was broken and we've been without all since last Wednesday...and to top THAT off...the communications strike delayed our service call to have it fixed.  4 trucks, 6 men & 5 hours of work, our service was restored yesterday.

While I catch up on photos, Grayce Lane Designs and preparing for Miss M to start school...I'll leave you with another fabulous summertime recipe.

Fruit Cobbler

Get this:

• 1 stick salted butter
• 1 c flour
• 1 c sugar
• 3/4 c milk
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 c each of 3 fruits of your choice (I used peaches, blueberries & raspberries)

Do this:

• preheat oven to 350 degrees
• melt butter in 2 quart baking dish
• in mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, milk & baking powder.
• pour over melted butter.  DO NOT STIR!!! (melted butter will be around sides of batter)
• spoon fruit on top of batter.  DO NOT STIR!!!
• bake 1 hour

(images my own)

ENJOY!!!

One year ago...

Looking back at these photos makes me very emotional...for so many, many reasons.

Just to name a few...

We listed our previous home on 7.23.10, and little did we know, 12 days later, it would be sold!  A blessing....yes.  Difficult...yes (after all, this was the home we brought our babies home to...the only home they knew!)
The biggest downside...the girls & I moved to our Beach House for the 8 long months it took to build Grayce Lane.  This was hard...missing Hubby/Daddy...missing the transformation from dirt to house...but mainly just ‘missing’.

Reconnecting with friends I grew up with (Ms. K, I cannot thank you enough for keeping me sane, grounded & focused...and for being such a dahl-ing...I luv ya!)

My girls...they are absolutely magnificent.  I am so lucky to be their Mama...and since we embarked on this journey for them, this house is named for them.  Miss M’s middle name is Grace...Miss L’s middle name is Layne...we changed the spellings, but it’s pronounced the same. 

My hubby...is the most amazing & talented person I know.  He worked so hard to make this dream a reality...(Babe, if you’re reading this...THANK YOU for building this house for our children to grow up in...and do not get any ideas...we are NOT doing this again!)

 * * * * *

It still amazes me, looking at those first photos, that we did this.  Even now, walking into our home, it's very overwhelming, remembering that we looked at it on paper for 18-months, and now it's a live, physical home...that we are filling with love & memories each & every day.  We have so much to be thankful for...

So...here’s to you, Grayce Lane...and the endless years of wonderful memories we have ahead of us.
(and PS:  don’t get any ideas and start with the leaking pipes, broken A/C or other crazy notions that would make me want to sell you!)

Morning Room project

Today has been a relatively productive day, considering I had 2 hours of sleep last night, have been dealing with an ache-y back (again) and the girls are suffering from a serious case of the Mondays.

With the Home Office finished, I started on Miss M's curtains and decorative pillows this morning.  Took a break for lunch, got Miss L down for a nap (which means I'm working on borrowed time at this point), and took a few minutes to have another cup of coffee while finishing my fabric selections for the Morning Room.

With this house being much more modern/neutral than our last house, I wanted a fun, but neutral print for the window treatments in the kitchen & living room.  I searched every site I know of, and finally found this (and promptly ordered yardage so that I couldn't change my mind!):

Windsor Smith:  Pelagos (Haze)

So, with that fabric chosen, I needed to find something to re-cover the cushions on the furniture in our Morning Room.  We purchased the furniture several years ago, when we moved into our last house, and the red/gold plaid suited that house...not so much for this one though.  My ultimate goal for this room would be to have a fabulous round table with 4, cushy, wing-back chairs to enjoy breakfast, mid-day coffee, etc.  But, until then, this is what I've got, so I'm doing some simple updating.

Here's the room & furniture as it is:

And here are the new cushion fabrics:

seat cushions

back pillows (Kravet Design:  Bansuri - Slate)

 

 

I also found some fabulous fabric to re-cover a bench in my closet...which I will post as a DIY when the fabric arrives.

We have a nice afternoon thunderstorm here at Grayce Lane, so I'm off to do more sewing!

Home Office...DONE!

So, the new home office was supposed to be a 1-week project.  Turns out, it took about 1-month to complete.  Still need a few accessories here & there, but the big stuff is DONE!

Details:
Wall color:  Benjamin Moore - Warmed Cognac
Fabric for curtains:  Premier Prints - Zippy (Charcoal Slub)
Desk:  ZGallerie "Jett" Desk (found at Home Goods!)
Filing units:  IKEA Effectiv

Next room to finish...Miss M's bedroom!

Guess I'll be doing a bit of sewing this weekend...

Some photos of Grayce Lane...

So, we're still getting settled and I'm starting to become a little OCD/ADD with each room.  I just want it all done...and keep forgetting that there really isn't any rush because...well, we're NOT going anywhere.


Here are a few photos that I snapped this afternoon (had to take advantage of a somewhat-clean house, right?)

Front entry...

we've finally primed the porch columns and are now awaiting a few rain-free days to put the final coats of black paint on them...cannot wait for these to be finished...the house will will look so elegant!

Powder room...
The Hicks Hexagon wallpaper was a splurge...and I am absolutely THRILLED with how it turned out.

Kitchen...
Can I just tell you how much I LOOOOOVE my new kitchen?  I went through this 'blah' stage of being in the kitchen when we were between houses.  Now that we're here, I have this fabulous space to spread out, prep, cook & enjoy a glass of wine while cooking and chatting with kids, hubby or friends.  This space is easily going to be the favorite room in the house.

I think that's all for now...gotta get to work finishing the home office.  It's been my 'project' for over a week now, and I'm ready to move on to another room.

Enjoy your Monday evening!