Perfectly Imperfect

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Is this thing on?

Hiya friends!  What's shakin'?  

It's been waaaay too long since I've actually written something here.  In the last few weeks, I've had 4 different people tell me that they like to read updates here on the blog, and that kinda lit a fire under me to actually post something other than Project 365 updates.  

So, let's start small.  We've been really busy with projects around the house.  The fireplace is done! And it's stunning.  The bad news is that I don't have photos.  Our TV died, and Brian hung an old TV in it's place, so we have wires and cords running everywhere.  I'm going to try to make it pretty enough to take photos so that I can share some with you. 

For now, you'll have to settle for some teasers.  Check.Out.That.Mantel.  Are you drooling?  You should be.  I had so much fun throwing some pretty fall decorations on that guy for the first time.  It increased the cozy factor in the Family Room by one million.  

Do you decorate for fall?  With all of the renovations and just the busy factor of the fall, I took a few minutes last weekend to get out my box of 'fall-ish' stuff and spread it out a bit.  I'm not big on 'cutesy' decorations.  I mean, I like them, but I tend to lean toward fall decor that's a bit more neutral and subtle, yet big on texture.  Old books, rocks, textured pumpkins, wicker, pine cones, soup crocks ... they're all favorites of mine!  Honestly, I would keep this kind of decor year round.  It just kinda speaks to me.  

I love how easy it is to add 'fall' to a room.  Adding a cute gold pumpkin and an acorn bundle to the candle, lamp, and slate coasters that live on this end table pumps up the cozy factor a bit.  Now that the boys are a little older, I'm not afraid of putting decorations at low heights.  Of course, I choose things like foam pumpkins and disposable candle jars to put within reach.  Nothing too crazy!

Sometimes bringing fall inside is as easy as plopping down a pumpkin and adding some baby's breath to a jar.  Boom.  Done.  Also?  As referenced by not one, but 2 of the photos in this post, lampshades in my home are never ever ever straight.  Ever.  It's just a way of emphasizing the fact that our lives are perfectly imperfect.  

And sometimes that perfectly imperfect factor is emphasized when I get lazy so I throw a bunch of crap on a shelf and call it a day.  Because why not?  Home should be comfortable, cozy, and easy.  Is it the prettiest little vignette ever?  Nope.  But it's fall-ish and it works.

So that's how we're celebrating fall in our home.  That, and keeping sick boys comfortable.  As much as I love fall, it inevitably brings sickness.  Blegh.  Stay healthy, friends!

Project 365: Week 30

ohmygoshyouguysi'msoexcited.  

October 14 was NEW CAMERA DAY!!!  I did nothing fancy, just snapped away inside my house with my boys in their PJs, hanging out and playing their video games.  And I was still completely smitten with the camera.  Weeeeee!  

Alright, on to pictures so I can get back to taking photos...

October 10 - Mr. Beckett's shy soccer face.

October 11 - Watching the helicopter land by the hospital.

October 12 - Cell phone snap - Snuggles.

October 13 - Cell phone snap - Waiting for brother Selfie.

October 14 - NEW CAMERA!!!  Kiernan is not impressed.

October 15 - Jump!

October 16 - Handsome birthday boy.

Project 365: Week 29

Once I ordered my new camera, I felt inspired to keep clickin' with my trusty old one.  Crazy how that works, huh?  These are all still with the old camera and a few cell phone snaps.  Next week will include a few with the new camera.  I'm like a kid in a candy store!!

October 3 - Cheese.

October 4 - Construction!

October 5 - Painted the front door, now we need to get the landscaping ready for winter.

October 6 - Late bloomer.

October 7 - Halloween = Done.

October 8 - Pumpkin patch pickin'.

October 9 - Red Wings opener!

Project 365: Week 28

I know that I've been blabbing on and on and on for weeks (maybe months?) about being in a rut.  

I'm still deep, deep in that rut.  It's painful.  I'm so uninspired by the photos that I actually do manage to take, that I just avoid editing.  Hence the reason I'm posting this several weeks late.  

Soooooo, in order to deal with my 'blergh' attitude, I ordered a new camera!  It should be here by the end of the week, and I told myself that I would catch up on editing by the time it gets here.  Weeeee!

 September 26 - A little post-soccer nature walk.

September 27 - Back yard fishing.

September 28 - Pretty.

September 29 - Building a mantel!

September 30 - A screen shot - the only photo of the day.

October 1 - No makeup selfie (for a skin care regimen).

October 2 - Beautiful sunset.

Project 365: Week 27

Oh man.  I am so behind on LIFE.  

Adjusting to our new school schedule is tough.  We're cramming in all of our annual and semi-annual doctor appointments.  (Why do I schedule those in the fall??)  It's football season, so Saturdays are spent.  (GO BLUE!!)  It's fall soccer season, so Saturday mornings are a rat race.  We're finishing up outdoor projects and starting indoor ones.  You know .... life!!  

My funk with my camera continues as well.  I find myself just not pulling it out daily.  Blegh.  It's making me toy with the idea of jumping the gun and buying a new one before Christmas.  Decisions, decisions :) 

September 19 - Those eyes just melt me.

September 20 - Swings.

September 21 - Nature walk.

September 22 - Sunset.

 September 23 - Running to the bus stop.

September 24 - Ninja.

September 25 - What happens when the dogs decide to be a-holes.

Project 365: Week 26

5 out of 7 cell phone snaps this week.  I realllllly need to get back on the wagon with my DSLR.  I'm doing too much dreaming about an upgrade and not enough actual using the one I have!

 September 12 - New hair selfie!

September 13 - Cornbread.

September 14 - Raspberry harvest.

September 15 - Brothers' first day of school.

September 16 - Dinner when Daddy's meeting runs late and he's supposed to grill and bedtime needs to happen on time.  

September 17 - Celebrating Brothers' birthday at school!

September 18 - Halloween, done and done.

Painted Sink & Countertop {One Year Update!}.

Well, it's officially been one year since we originally painted our integral sink and countertop, and we're still thrilled with the results!  I still get lots of compliments on it, along with questions about how it's holding up, so I thought I'd write an update and share some photos.

As I said in the original post, this bathroom gets a lot of foot traffic, so I was originally a bit worried about wear and tear.  But I could not be more pleased with the condition of the countertop and sink.  It honestly looks just as good as it did on the day we finished!  

  

There is not a single scratch or spot of peeling paint on the entire countertop and sink.  The only "flaw" is a small, very faint orange circle from water sitting under the orange candle jar.  I tried to photograph it, but it was too faint to capture.  I've been too chicken to try scrubbing it with a Magic Eraser or anything like that, as I'd rather live with a barely noticeable ring than mess up the smooth finish!

On the topic of cleaning, I use a gentle bathroom cleaner, like Seventh Generation, for weekly cleaning.  But with 3 little boys, Clorox wipes also get used on the regular.  I was worried at first that Clorox wipes might be too harsh, but a couple each week for the last year have been just fine!

The faucet is still in perfect condition.  I was a little worried about the candles being hard to keep clean, but they're very easy to wipe up.  The fact that the C is sideways when the faucet is off drives me a little batty, but that is at the very bottom of Brian's to-do list.

In the above photo, you can see a little part where I couldn't get rid of the texture of the roller in the paint.  It's the only spot on the counter that isn't smooth, it's only noticeable from a certain angle, and it's been that way since the beginning, so it doesn't bother me!  Also, let's talk about the fact that we ran out of soap and only had ugly bottles left, so I decided to leave it out of the photos.  Fear not, we do, in fact, keep soap in the bathroom!

Are you thinking of painting your integral sink and countertop?  I have a few words of wisdom for you!

First, I definitely recommend it for sinks and counters, but I would be hesitant to do a shower or tub.  Most of the negative reviews of Rustoleum Tub & Tile paint that I've seen are from people who have painted tubs or showers.  I'm just not sure if the paint is designed to withstand the amount of water in a tub or shower.  We tried something similar in the boys' bathroom shower, but that is a completely different post for another day!  

Second, I cannot stress this enough ... follow the directions!!  I get it, they seem insanely redundant.  But I have to believe that they're there for a reason.  We sanded and Comet-ed and Lime-Away-ed til our heads were about to explode.  Here we are though, one year later with a fantastic looking countertop, so the work paid off!

I'm super insanely happy that we undertook this project.  The entire look of the bathroom, and makes it not only livable, but actually enjoyable until we have the cash flow to do a bigger remodel!