before+after: GUEST ROOM

(wow! these house posts have been a loong time coming!)

one of the things i really loved about our house when we first took a walk through

was the 3rd floor

two(!) rooms with full-height ceilings, good closet space

and

it was pretty much a blank slate.

(original mls listing photo)

score.

i was anxious to get this space looking good right away-

especially as the larger room was to be the guest room

and my parents were visiting often to help with projects!

we bought paint the same day as our closing and my mom and i got to work...

nellie supervised.

although we had decent hardwood floors up there

they would have had to have been refinished

and it was cold.

i also wanted to be sure the space felt cozy and not that you were sleeping in the attic!

so we decided our major first-year expense would be to carpet the third floor and staircase.

remember those mid-century chairs?

my $10 score at our church fair a few years ago

i kept the green velvet upholstery and refinished the wood.

the chinoiserie lamp/table was my grama's.

bureau: craigslist

tray: john derian for target

funky brass+ acrylic scalloped table lamp: goodwill

the trunk was my "hope chest" which my dad bought at brimfield in the 80's

lamp: homegoods

tissue box cover: design works

a few more detail shots

crocheted rocks photo: etsy in ikea frame

high-low bedding mix- quilt: target, duvet: john robshaw

i still have a few more pictures to find frames for

but other than that, i love this cozy

(and a bit girly)

guest get-away!

happy weekend!

too cute not to post

photo by orchard cove

Anything fun planned?

the big 3-0

i know, i know...

a very pathetic blogging-start to november

but, i promise, it was for good reason!

reid turned 30!

last weekend

and i had been busy busy planning

a surprise party...

i was pretty proud of the invite

seeing it had been quite a few years

since i truly tested my illustrator and photoshop skills!

...

i finally made pennant flags

i did each word individually so that over the years (and when we have kids)

we can add new names or holidays ("easter" etc...)

guests big

and small

a peek at the dessert table

and trumpet cake

(excuse the yet-to-be re-done granny wallpaper)

...

and the next night

we spent in boston

seeing AfroCubism

live

my very handsome and happy

THIRTY year old husband.

sNOw

woke up to this

and i'm trying not to let it ruin my week...

i was just at the height of my fall-lovin'-

leaves crunching underfoot

creative layering

maple and pumpkin

an extra hour to snooze

...

but then saturday

a local radio station played nothing but CHRISTMAS music

and the starbucks menu has replaced the pumpkin spice with eggnog and gingerbread

and now

snow.

not. quite. ready.

(melt quickly please, and we'll pretend this never happened)

spiced goodness

i've had a can of pumpkin staring me in the face for too long.

i couldn't take it anymore... finally broke down and made

pumpkin whoopie pie with maple cream cheese filling.

ooooooh golly.

de-lish.

i followed bon appetit's recipe for the cookie, but adapted the ingredients to:

3 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ginger powder

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) organic unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups (packed) organic brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 15-ounce can pure organic pumpkin

1/2 cup organic milk

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

for the filling:

3 cups organic powdered sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

8 oz. organic cream cheese

3 tablespoons dark maple syrup

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

bake up a batch for your halloween parties!

morning walk

after my tea and book

i love jumping into the day

with fresh air

and

a walk

in the woods

with nellie...

the color is off.the.charts right now in providence

everyday the trees different than the day before.

happy friday!

anything fun planned for this fall weekend?

power boost

i have always considered myself a morning person-

rising early and popping out of bed.

but

there is something about fall...

and the dreaded alarm (going off for my teacher-husband)

that makes me want to hiebernate under the comforter.

so today

after i got up to share breakfast

and make lunch

i headed back

to bed

with my tea and laptop

for time with my google reader.

but

it was out of juice.

and

THANK GOODNESS.

because

i picked up my book.

the book that had been on my wish list

and was an out-of-nowhere surprise gift

from said husband a few weeks back.

the happiness project.

is now my fall-morning project.

what a wonderful way to start the day...

a book. and tea. in bed. (with nellie- shhhh, don't tell)

and when 7:30am came around

i was charged up, inspired and happy to start my day.