Dining Room Makeover

We used our dining room for the first time this weekend since moving in {we need to get entertaining!} so it felt like a good place to start for a renovation sneak peek! When we first saw the house we loved the amazing light in this room, the great size and, despite the horrible paint color, even the corner cabinets - they just seemed so New England to us!

Yellow floors, shiny drapes and lots of green paint! 

But those cabinets were already sneaking their way into my heart!

First stop was redoing all our hardwood floors. Jeff from New Age flooring was amazing - fast, affordable and such beautiful work. It truly transformed the entire house. Even four months later sometimes I still just sit and stare at how beautiful they are. Don't be offended if you come over and I make you put on booties {kidding!}

Trying out stains - Jacobean on the left and Provincial on the right

In order to move from the 60's feel of the room to something more updated we added molding to the door opening to the living room {those 60s cut out entries are so strange to me!} and also a chair rail to tie in the cabinets and crown molding.

Priming and trimming

Chair rail going up

To make them look more like cabinets and to give the room a more coastal feel we decided to paint the cabinets Super White like all the trim but paint the inside back of the cabinets the same color as the walls - BM Sea Foam.

Finally coming together!

With an awesome hand me down Pottery Barn table from my cousins, all our wedding glassware finally unpacked and filling the cabinets and our Monomoy Designs Nantucket painting hanging on the wall it's starting to feel like the perfect space to entertain! This room makeover really showcases the amazing power of a little paint!

Loving the dark floors and dark table against the aqua walls and white cabinets!

Our Monomoy Designs painting is the perfect way to fill a big wall and add a pop of color!

Still on the to do list - a new rug, bamboo blinds {does anyone have any good sources for these? Having a hard time finding the color I'm looking for}, a new chandelier and perhaps switching the dining room chairs out to white ones...I'm also hoping to introduce some pops of coral, my favorite combo with aqua!

Here it is all set up for YWCA Winetasters this weekend - inviting 10 people you've never met over to drink wine at your house - add that to the list of bizarre things people do to meet friends in a new town! : )

Ready to taste wine!

Give Thanks in Style

We are communally hosting Thanksgiving this year in Chatham so we're keeping it super low key since we'll be in a rental - paper plates anyone?! But it's fun to daydream about how you'd celebrate if you were pulling out all the stops. Maybe I'll find a way to bring a few of these details up with me! Happy Thanksgiving to all! 

For the centerpieces:

I adore everything about this arrangement - especially the birch vase

Pheasant feathers always play heavily into my moms holiday decor - I think she'd love these

For the placecards:

Loving these gilded mini pumpkins - so chic!

Rosemary always reminds me of Thanksgiving {and how much I hate it}
but these placecards are too cute

Show your family you are thankful for them - I love this idea!

Use these as placecards or send your friends and family home with a party favor!

For dessert:

These just make me smile 

Mini apple pies - darling!

I would make these as my own personal dessert
as a reward for hosting :)

To remember what matters:

Start a great table conversation 

All images thinks to Pinterest - and my "Fall for Fall" board 

What To Do This Weekend?

Looking for some fun things to do this weekend? Check out these favorite past posts for some great activities around town! 

Stand Up Paddle Board

Eat Lobster Rolls

Go to Kennebunkport!

Track Down the Grilled Cheese Truck

BYOB

Make a New Beach Bag

Eat Dessert

Roadtrip to Litchfield

Take a Flower Class

Throw a Birthday Fete

Here are some highlights from our summer thus far. Happy Weekend! 

Nantucket Wine Festival 

Summer at Sankety

Birthday drinks at Toppers

Beachcomber

Neon Skys

Picnic in Garrison

Five Mile River

Wedding at Okemo

Chatham Bars Inn

Shore Rd.

Perfect Beach Day 

Tasty Fall Treats

I love this idea for a fun fall taste treat - perfect for a pumpkin picking picnic, a cute little dessert or something more unique for your trick or treaters. I think the little guys in your lives are going to love these, especially with the sugar, sugar, sugar!

Sweet Acorns

Pick up your favorite glazed donut holes - mine are the honey glazed holes from Donut Delight. Dip the top portion of donut into nutella, roll in chocolate jimmies, then break off a small section of a pretzel stick and add to the top as a stem, voila! Adorable, delicious, chocolate acorns. 

Yum!

Pumpkin Vases

I'd just pinned this adorable photo to Pinterest in preparation for some fun dinner parties this Fall.

And that very same week I got to my parents for dinner and voila - clever mom!

She found her inspiration from Flower Magazine in the below spread, some great ideas to create some beautiful tables this season!

What are you pinning these days? I hate to say it but I've already started pinning Christmas ideas - eeks, where did summer go! 

Great Gift for Mom

I just loved this adorable Mother's Day gift that my cousin helped her daughter make for her grandma! So trendy with the neon paint and too cute a keepsake for a loving Ninny. A super easy DIY project - just pick out your favorite colors in acrylic based paint, use a paint brush to paint your childs hand to keep the paint application even and to avoid drips, place hands on the bag in desired pattern, wash hands and repeat! If you have multiple little ones get all their little hand sizes in there, or mix in a few feet if you'd like! They used an LLBean Boat & Tote but any cute canvas bag will do. Who's making this next Mother's Day??

DIY for Mom

I love this idea for a Mother's Day craft made with dad! Little Sparklers in Greenwich is offering a father/daughter workshop on May 12th to create a one of a kind piece of jewelry for mom! Each one hour session includes two pieces of jewelry (one for mom and one for the crafter), lemonade, snacks, a "mid-construction" photo to accompany the gift and a goodie bag to go! How much fun is that? And as an added bonus all you mom's will get an extra hour of me time on Saturday!

$68/pair, $32 per additional child (boys welcome)
Call 203.622.2991 or email littlesparklersct@hotmail.com to make a reservation, sessions run on the hour from 10am-5pm.

Not up your husbands alley? Grab some gal pals and your daughters and go together as a group!

www.littlesparklers.com
85 Greenwich Ave, Greenwich (thru Ella Vickers)
From the creators of Femmegems!

Little sparklers also offers great childrens birthday parties with jewelry making, red carpet fashion show, snacks and a dance party! Check their website for more info.

Carrots They'll Fight Over

My mom, always the crafty lady, came up with a big hit this Easter, Cheetos carrots! Taken from an idea she read in a magazine and spun into this clever creation, they were the perfect basket stuffer!

Using large disposable pastry bags from the Cook's Nook in Norwalk, Cheetos and a little green string these couldn't be an easier holiday craft. 

My cousins came up with the most clever way of eating them - cutting the tip off and eating them funnel style. I highly recommend adding them to your list for next year!

Girls Night

Tonight is our monthly girls dinner and I wish I'd had the chance to make this darling cheese platter before our get together! I found it on pinterest and think it would be such a fun idea for a wine tasting too. Check out the how to's on Wit & Whistle.

A Very Easy Valentine

A love this idea I saw on Chic Geek for simple and adorable valentines!

All you need are paint colorways from your local hardware store and a sharpie! Pen a love note on the back and you're ready to send! Aren't these darling? You might have to frequent a few stores so they don't get mad at you for stealing all their paint swatches.  

I also think these are darling but might be a little too labor intensive for this girl!

Or keep it short and simple with these darling stickers. Perfect to slip in the lunch of a loved one. Make your own or buy them from Twig and Thistle. Note - order today for delivery by Valentines Day!