Bulletin Board

Room Revamp

As many of you know, I recently got married. Living the married life has been amazing. I couldn’t be happier! After three weeks of marital bliss, we are finally starting to settle in and continue to make our house our home. One of the first steps we took to make that house to home transformation was to paint. Before I get into the colors, process, etc., you need to know some background information about our home.

I moved out of my apartment and in with my dear husband (DH). We now live in the house that he grew up in, which is a really neat thing. His parents built a new house just down the road about 5 years ago but didn’t build a room for the oldest two (of four) boys. My DH and his brother remained at the “home” place. Unfortunately, other things have remained. My mother in-law has quite a bit of stuff, and “hasn’t had time” in five years to move it all out. By the way, when I say stuff, I mean old curtains from the 70’s and 80’s, encyclopedias circa 1978, artificial flowers circa 1980-1990, kid jackets from the late 80’s to early 90’s, kid board games (at least 10), old trophies, old cookbooks that look as if they have never been opened, artwork from the kids, baby clothes, toddler clothing, bills and receipts from 1996 (think they could go yet?), old Christmas ornaments, dusty decorations, and boxes filled with the unknown are just a few of the things still at the home place. I wouldn’t mind if she had one of the upstairs bedrooms dedicated to holding all of her stuff, but when it’s scattered throughout the house in kitchen cabinets, entryway closets, and bedroom closets, it’s a lot to swallow. The worst part is, our house looks like a tornado came through—we just don’t have the closet space to organize all of OUR stuff.

Anyways I digress, back to the main point! While DH and his brother lived together, the house didn’t change one bit. Sure they hung up a few posters and pictures here and there, but for the most part it never changed from the day his parents left. In fact, the furniture layout didn’t change one bit. The boys’ couch sat where the family couch once belonged, the same with the recliner! Also, the color palatte of the house was (in my opinion) very bland. All rooms had white walls except for the hallway that leads into the laundry room which had light blue walls. While white walls may go with ANYTHING, it was just too much WHITE. In addition to the overload of white walls, there was a sea of blue carpet…everywhere. The carpet was put in about 20 years ago, and unfortunately, it is in really good condition, which means DH and I are waiting until after the future kids to replace it.

A change was needed. The easiest and most economical way to make a change in a house is paint. I knew from the moment I walked in the door (five years ago), this place needed some color! In late May, I was tired of looking at a white and blue kitchen. I decided to spice it up and paint the room Cedar Chest (cinnamon/rusty red). It turned out fabulous and really set the bar for all other rooms in the house. The priority rooms to paint were the bedroom, living and dining rooms. I began my search looking online for inspiration of other living rooms and bedroom color schemes. We decided that for the living room and dining room we wanted a warm color palette (Red-Orange-Yellow). However, for the bedroom, we went with a cool color palette (Green-Blue-Purple). From there, I visited Menards and picked up a bag full of color samples. After much thought and careful consideration (especially thinking about home accents such as lamps, furniture, picture frames, decor), we picked up the necessary supplies for a room-revamping.

For the bedroom, we selected two colors: Elephant Gray (for the wall behind the bed), and Alabaster Frame (all other walls). These colors go well with our new bedding (French Blue in color) and really change the feel of the entire room. [Ignore the mess, I'm waiting for DH to help me move the bedroom furniture back into its proper spot and need to add the new bedding.] Even though the room isn't quite finished, it seems much more relaxing and inviting than the harsh white that was previously on the walls.

The living room and dining rooms were a bit more difficult to select colors. The house has a semi-open floor plan as the kitchen table, dining room, and living room are all in a line. We needed to make sure our color selection didn’t clash with the Cedar Chest of the kitchen. We also wanted to use color to define the dining room and to define the living room. We also needed to consider the lighting. Unfortunately, we only have two windows in the living room and dining room, which makes it feel rather dark at times. We had to be sure we didn’t choose a color that was too dark. Finally, we selected the right color palette. We chose three colors for the living room and dining room. The first color was Sand Fossil (a light taupe), second Jute (darker tan), and third Pizza Pie (red). We used the colors to separate the spaces and to unify them. Rather than explain, take a look at the finished rooms below!

The living room in Jute (darker color) and Sand Fossil (lighter color).

The wall from the living room and dining room is Jute. It really combines to two spaces.

Pizza Pie really accentuates the focal point of our living room (the portable fireplace and the TV as DH would argue). Eventually, we plan to hang a collage of pictures above the fireplace.

I also rearranged the furniture to create a different look in our home.

Overall, both DH and I are quite happy with the results of this room revamp! Our home no longer feels like a blank slate, but rather feels warm and welcoming. The colors we selected really reflect what we want our home to be: a place where friends and family are welcomed and truly feel at home. At the this project cost less than $200 and took about 3 full days to complete. The next project on my list is to purchase a new couch and hang up photographs and add some charm to our home. Happy painting!

Henna Party

I got Henna done on my hand this week. Because I was so excited to get it done and because it is very fascinating, I decided to do some research. Most of this information I pulled off of Wikipedia and Henna artist’s (called a Mehndi) websites. Henna is a large shrub or small tree measuring about 8 feet at full height that grows in Africa, southern Asia, and northern Australia.


The leaves are dried and crushed into a fine powder so the dying ingredient, lawsone, can be made available. It’s then mixed with an acidic substance such as lemon juice or strong tea. It’s rested for 6-12 hours to release the lawsone. Essential oils such as tea tree or eucalyptus are also added to help break up the smell. It’s not stinky; it just has a strong earthy scent like rich soil. Plus the oils are good for you skin! The paste is then put in a plastic cone small enough to fit into your hand and is used like a pen to draw on the skin.




It is left on for at least 4 hours and even better if left on for longer, it will make the color darker. It will stain as soon as it is put on, but not very dark. Here is how it works: the Lawsone is an organic compound that bonds strongly with proteins such as the keratin in your skin. Don’t get it on fabric especially wool, leather and silk; it will stain! After it dries, most artists then spray a lemon juice/sugar mixture that helps it penetrate better. After that it is time to take off the henna that has dried into a hard crusty substance. Just lightly rub it off and use olive oil for the chunks that are stubborn. It will be light orange but will turn a rich brown in 24 hours.

The reason it is not permanent is it is only applied to the outer layer of skin, which over time, sluffs off. Tattoos are permanent because the ink is applied underneath the outer layer of skin which does not sluff off and that is why a needle has to be used.

Fun fact: it is also anti-fungal and is used to preserve leather and fabrics.

Henna is traditionally applied on an Indian and Arabic bride before her wedding. Her hands and feet are covered with the dye. If you look online at Mehndi artist’s websites, you can find many images and ideas and how it usually looks. The woman who did my henna said she frequently does Indian weddings and it usually takes 4-6 hours to do the bride because of the very intricate designs. They usually do this a day or two before the wedding because it takes time to cure.


I like it because it’s a fun tattoo that requires little commitment. If you don’t like it, or decide to get a new design it goes away and you can try something else! A new pattern every time is fun. Tattoos eventually go out of style and, as I’ve very recently found after having a baby, skin gets saggy! The appeal is high for me; I’ve always been too chicken to get a real tattoo. I even felt a bit sassy after it was applied! It’s a fun experience to have, especially with your girlfriends! Here’s how mine turned out right after the henna was applied:



And 24 hours after the application:

Domestic Diva at her Finest

Besides seeing my baby grow and change all day, being able to stay in my PJ’s, and create my own schedule, being at home has given me more time to enjoy cooking!

We had some friends over for dinner the other night. Its FINALY summer (having a winter baby makes you appreciate summer that much more!) so I decided to do it right: grilling! We bought a quarter of a beef so I pulled out some T-bone steaks and put on some roasted garlic rub (thanks to my sister Linda for getting me the rub from South Carolina!). I cut up slices of eggplant and brushed a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, thyme, dill, basil, and oregano. I also sliced up some pineapple. All that got thrown on the grill. Not that I needed one, it was 100 degrees. Literally. It was the hottest day in five years. I tossed a salad of spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes and fresh basil. You CANNOT have a fresh salad without the fresh basil, it is an absolute must! I have a bread maker that, until recently, has been sitting in our basement collecting dust. I’ve been making bread instead of buying it and it tastes so yummy! I made up some dough then baked dinner rolls. There is nothing like freshly baked dinner rolls!!!! I had made a blueberry pie and bought some ice cream for dessert.

Talk about an American meal, huh? It was a lot of time on my feet but homemade meals are always worth the trouble! Plus when you have a husband who will hold and play with the baby helps a ton.

This with good conversation and pleasant company along with a well behaved, happy baby (most likely the best part) made the night an absolute success! I hardly noticed the time flying by; it was 10:00 when they left. I know this seems like a normal bedtime to you all, but I usually go to bed at 8:30. Thanks Chris and Terri Jo for the great evening!

Lost: Did they really tie everything up?

I know, I know: Lost was sooooo 2007, but I really enjoyed it. So sue me! I borrowed seasons 1-4 from my aunt and I've been pretty obsessed about watching them.

For those who didn't watch the show because they thought it was stupid or who's brains just weren't quite big enough to understand the storyline: Lost was about a bunch of people who crash landed on a spooky island with unique properties that nobody seemed to be able to find. According to Wikipedia:

Lost is a drama series that followes the lives of various individuals
and groups of people, most importantly the survivors of the crash of a
commercial jet flying between Sydney and LA on a mysterious tropical island
somewhere in the south pacific ocean.

I had mixed feelings about the last season. I was sad that it would be over because I enjoyed the show, but so excited because they said all the questions would be answered. So I watched the final episode and nothing was explained clearly, it was all metaphoric 'n stuff. What's up with that?!! So now I have to go and do a bunch of research to figure all this out. Lostpedia was quite helpful, but the more questions I get answered, five more come up. It's really very frustrating.

So I've decided to just let bygones be bygones and let the mysteries of Lost actualy become lost in the graveyard of TV shows that drove you mad. Let's face it, the questions on these shows/movies aren't meant to be answered, they just write them and not even the writers have the answers to the questions. They write themselves into a corner and just say, "well that was the afterlife and they were all ready to move on". THAT IS NOT AN ENDING, PEOPLE!!!!

Good-bye, Lost. You were fun while you lasted.