Hansel and Gretel House Update

We have been here for almost 2 weeks! How in the heck did the time go by that fast? We literally have been sleeping in this house for 13 nights. It all feels like a blur to me. The weekend of moving out of The FCC was a 3 day process. It was long and hard! We now have 1/3 of the house with a barn that is FULL to the rim....literally, wall to wall and floor to ceiling! We also have 2 storage units. Oh my word! One has stuff that will go to the Creek Party House (more about that later!) and the other has stuff that I have to eventually get rid of or move into this house.....there is NO storage/attic space in this house! Yikes....

You can see a few of the before pictures here. These are BEFORE we did anything!

At least one of us is getting used to it! Jazzy found a spot on the bed. She still follows me everywhere. I still leave her inside when we are gone. We are going to be gone Saturday and Sunday. I'm a little worried about leaving her outside for 2 days. 

Speaking of important, my shoe closet. It's full of shelves and has a sign for all to know what's inside!

 (that door....needs to change)

 Does anyone remember seeing this light on Instagram? A little gem I found on the floor in the back of Southern Accents. The color is fantastic. The ruffle shade? {swoon} It's an old street light. #isaveoldthings

It has a home and I think it's perfect! 

I really need to find a better light bulb. Can you believe light bulbs are now a part of the decor? 

In other updating news. We have internet and cable. We also got kitchen counters and the sinks work in the kitchen and my bathroom! I can finally brush my teeth in the bathroom in my room! #luxuries

I'm hoping to work on more fluffing next week. I still have several light fixtures that need to be hung (DAD). Next week. Maybe I will get out the good camera and take some photos that make this place look like the hype I've built it up to! Until then.....

Barn Sale at Milky Way Farm in Pulaski, Tennessee

Oh my goodness.....I'm so excited about this barn sale! The farm is called Milky Way. Isn't that the best name??? My friend, Beth, just asked if I was going. She called it a match made in Lucy Farmer heaven! She knows me too well! She is a smarty, too. You have to read her blog!

Bella Rustica is a cool event. Not only will there be tons of goodness to shop from, but they are raising money for Agape, a ministry that supports children and families through adoption, foster care and family preservation. 

Now, you know I have just moved. You may also know that I moved from a rather large house to a much smaller house. I am a collector. I have more than I need. I have a barn full of really cool stuff. (I should be having my own barn sale ;)) I can't wait to get up there. I want to see and feel and the goods that are for sale. I also will get to see some blogger friends that I haven't seen in awhile! Rhoda, who moved to Atlanta from Birmingham has a great blog, too! She is renovating a house. She's always working on something awesome and has a giveaway or two, if you keep up!  

Several bloggers will be there with booths. Donna from Funky Junk Interiors, is going to be there and she is the guest speaker. Now, I just want to be there all weekend!!! I can only go on Friday. I have other plans for Saturday. I can't reveal those because it's a surprise and I can't be spoiling it here on the ole blog!

I know there are so many more wonderful bloggers and I can't wait to meet them! Gina from The Shabby Creek Cottage. She's giving away a $100 gift certificate to Southern Accents tomorrow! You should enter! I wish I could win. I'm spending way too much money there!

Bella Rustica

its a ruff start so far!

Yes, we are moved in. Are we unpacked? NO!!

That's not entirely true. 90% of the boxes are unpacked. My closet is still a disaster and I have to dry my hair in the middle of the room. I know...not the end of the world!

I have lots of photos hung on the walls thanks to Laura and Brandy! They came over and we knocked it out!!

The first night we were all in, John Connor had to do a poster for Star Student. It was a bit difficult with all the crafty supplies boxed up and out in the barn. (they are all still out there, too!) We made it work. Printed pictures on the handy Epson 4x6 printer. I love that little thing! It's so convenient! He even added a hand drawn friend...I think he named him Harold. He's a funny kid!

Monday morning, Jazzy followed me down the street. Tuesday she jumped in the car as we were leaving. She's so confused! She is needing lots of extra attention this week.

It took me until yesterday to find out what buses the kids ride. We've been doing the afternoon car rider line. My kids love to be picked up! They enjoy their friends on the bus, just not riding it. Emma only has to ride a couple of days. It hasn't been too bad. Until today! It took about 20 minutes at Emma's school. Thankfully, a sweet friend, Emi, took John Connor home!

We are still looking like the Clampett's live here. It will all get put away eventually! For now, I'm going shopping. I HAVE to cover a couple of windows!

Sunday Funday, Doesn't Feel So Fun

Hansel and Gretel's house is FULL!! I can't wait to make it feel like HOME!

In the meantime.......

I'm sitting in the floor watching Project Runway. I think I might be in denial! All of the furniture is gone. All that's left is my bathroom, closet and the basement. I HAVE to take one more shower in my bathroom. I would love to go swimming, too! haha

I LOVE the new house. I just am overwhelmingly sad about leaving this house. Lots of memories and really FUN stuff! I think the new owners absolutely love it. They will take good care of it! I'm just going to miss it. It's a great house.

We Color Outside the Lines

I can't even begin to tell you how  much fun we had! The Color Run is amazing. It so fun and happy!

First of all, it was pouring down rain. Seriously, it never let up. I gathered my peeps, who were all over the place. We left my house at 6:45 and were actually on our way! It was raining. It was cold. They thought we were crazy for going. I wasn't missing it! I had already heard about it from B. She went in April to Atlanta and couldn't stop talking about how much fun it was!

We had 24 people on our team. We Color Outside the Lines was our name. We didn't see one person from our team! It was crazy! They were there sooner than we were. So, they were up front. Did I mention there were 10,000 people there? We ran on the Barber Motor Sports track. It's a bit hilly, but every 1k we got splattered with paint! Blue, Red, Yellow, Orange, and Pink was sprayed, thrown, turned upside down and hand printed all over us! We were the perfect rainbows after! Top all that off with the downpour and you had a coloriffic tie dye extravaganza! Headband, shirt, skirt, socks and shoes...all full of color!


Emma and I played throughout the whole course! We jumped in puddles, threw paint, posed for pictures and danced the entire time. Ashlee, Marisa, Molly and Daphney were with us, too.

You will find all of us, but Daphney and Molly front and center, on the front page of the Local section of the Birmingham News! Check AL.Com for the pictures of us! Top left is where you will find the rest of us....I'm on my phone. I know, Kim Kardashian....whatever! I was taking pictures!!

 I'm dying to do it again in October. I know John Connor would love it! It's on the 6th and I'm already signed up for the Warrior Dash. I think my timeslot is 9:30am. Thinking about changing it to the afternoon and doing both! Crazy? Definitely, but worth it!

Workers Gonna Work~

The house has been full of busy bees for a week! There is still so much to do!! I'm a little crazy right now. I was on the phone earlier and couldn't complete a sentence. Too many things wanting to come out at the same time!

Counter tops - picked out. Not my first or second choice...but, 3rd times the charm, right?

Wood on the ceiling in the kitchen! It's yellow. I love it!

Wood on the ceiling in the laundry/powder room. It's white. It's chippy. I love it!

Walls are being painted all over the place! It was all oil based. It's all primed and room by room, it will be done!

I have a closet....kinda. I have shelves and rods. I have a door. I have walls. Problem is you can see through the walls and there is only glass in one door! Deep breath...it will be fine.

My bathroom? We just won't talk about it, ok?

I do have a shoe closet! It has a sign! I love it! giggle

Noticed these cute bricks today. Marvel. I seem to do that every day. I love this house!

Hansel and Gretel: A Preview

This little house we are moving into. You know, Hansel and Gretel's house? There is a bit of history on it. It was once a Bed and Breakfast when Caldwell Mill Road was a dirt road. The story is that it was built in the early 60's by a German man. The original part of the house was one big open room with a HUGE fireplace (that is still there!) and a kitchen. There is a bathroom on that floor.

 A view of what used to be the kitchen

There was a spiral staircase that took you upstairs to the bedrooms. It is metal and is now outside and how you would get down from the deck, if you wanted to put your life in jeopardy! It seems a bit dangerous to me. We have a cute iron gate that deters you from going in that direction. It's not secure and when you step out onto the top landing of the staircase.....there are no rails.....on any side! Kids under 6 are not allowed on the deck! It's a little scary and if you come over, you will see it and I can guarantee you will not go down those stairs. Your children will beg to and if you feel comfortable with their stability....you can let them. I might get you to sign a waiver!

Back to the upstairs! There is a cute, cozy nook with a window seat and bookshelves on both sides. I can just see Emma sitting there reading or texting. Her room is to the left with a built-in bed and there is another room to the right. If there ever was a bed in there...it was tiny. Like a twin and no room to walk around it! Maybe there were bunk beds? I don't know. There are 2 big closets! yay!

Emma's built in bed

Also, out that window that Emma will be texting in, there is an awesome courtyard! That is supposedly a German thing? I don't really know where that knowledge came from! Someone told me they liked courtyards better than backyards? I'm thankful.

They added on in the late 60's. There is another bedroom upstairs. A huge foyer with a staircase from an old courthouse, keeping room and kitchen. There is also a finished room in the basement.

Window in the foyer. It's inside the built on portion of the house!

When the inspector came over he said he thought the house was build way before the 60's. I would love to find out more about it. I just don't know where to start? Maybe I will ask my guys at Southern Accents. They seem to know a lot about old homes!

Disclaimer: These photos are not the best quality. The house needs lots of lighting and TLC. We are working on that this week! These photos also have the other owner's furniture, etc.  Of course, when I show you what I've done to the place.....I will get out my good lens and a flash if I need to! It will be all styled up ready for a magazine shoot!

BTW: moving takes place next week! yikes!!

Paint Colors

This HAS to be the hardest thing to do in the entire world!! The painter came over Wednesday. I had to tell him the colors we are using. This was the most stressful part of this house! With Pinterest, you would think it would be easy. There are so many pins on my for the home, cottage, paint the world white boards.......

No. You have to consider lighting. You have to consider your furniture. You have to consider the color of the floors. You have to consider trim. In my case you have to consider that the ceiling and beams are DARK, DARK brown.

I want the whole house to be as light as possible. I just love color, so it's hard to just go in and ask for white. Plus, it will just look like plain ole sheet rock if I do that! Well, most of our walls are wood. But, you get the idea! I did choose a color called Moonlight White. I chose this color because one of my cottage friends, Layla Palmer, uses it A LOT! Her cottage is ah-dorable! Check out her blog. She just finished her bathroom redo. Oh, and the just put this beauty on the market. Interested in buying a new home? This one is so cute!!

The living room may actually get painted today. I hope so. It's the one I'm not very sure about. Thursday night he brought a gallon of Sea Salt. Sounds beautiful, doesn't it? I had 1 quart of knitting needles. I asked him to put some of both on the walls. I didn't like either. For one, they were right next to a beam. On the wrong side from the window. You couldn't see them very well. They looked periwinkle. Ugh. When I opened the quart of Knitting Needles, my husband asked if it was white. It looked so light. (I wanted it to be as light as possible) On the wall, it looked like a baby's nursery. I'm very anxious to get over there and see how it looks with a whole wall painted. Did I mention the walls are currently yellow gold? Like beautiful fall leaves. It's a great color. Too much color for me and it clashes big time with my white/grey/periwinkle!

I scoured those Pinterest boards and found these colors. The Knitting Needles, I actually found a photo and used Sherwin Williams Chip It tool. Hello, have you tried it? It's so cool. You just upload a photo and it tells you the colors that are in the room!

I'm hoping the Knitting Needles turns out like I want it in the end. If my room looks like the one I pinned? I will be thrilled! If you haven't heard of the Chip It Tool. Check out the video below. It's really cool!!