This Old Colonial Home

Filling our house with love and a lot of DIY

Category Archives: Home Life


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Baby Shower Decor

I recently hosted a baby shower for my good friend who’s expecting a girl later this summer. Because I love my friend and am so happy for her … and because, let’s be honest, I just can’t help myself … I crafted/created a few little things in hopes of making her shower extra special.

First, guests were welcomed to my friend’s home right away with a festive porch.Pink and white flower balloonsI can’t take credit for this. The flower balloons were a Pinterest find and the mama-to-be’s sister-in-law put them together. Aren’t they cute?!

Guests were further greeted by the front door with this little display.baby shower porch decorbaby shower umbrella decorGet it?! ‘Cause it’s a baby shower! 😛 (And it actually did rain that day.) But seriously, how cute are these little rain boots with baby’s breath?!baby shower rain boots decorOnce inside the entryway, there was a welcome chalkboard sign, framed sonogram picture, and favors. (I’ll get to those later!)baby shower chalkboard signThere wasn’t a theme for the shower, but we did go with a pink, gray, and white color scheme. I kept envisioning a garden party style and even though the weather didn’t allow us to be outside, I was still able to incorporate that idea and the colors inside!garden party baby showerI love the look of a long table with place settings. Even though these are paper plates, they still add to the decor!baby shower table settingpink gray polka dot baby shower plates I crafted all of the centerpieces using mason jars and aluminum cans and wrapped them with a few different types of ribbon that I got from Michaels. I filled them with fresh flowers – hydrangeas, carnations, and baby’s breath.pink gray polka dots tablebaby shower mason jar centerpiecesDid you notice my DIY banner in the background? Here’s a closer look.baby shower banner diybaby doily bannerI made it using doilies, craft paper, twine, and clothes pins. I also made a little circle banner, which you can kind of see below hanging in the doorway. I’m such a sucker for banners!!baby-shower-tableWould anyone like a drink?mason jar beverage dispenserI put together this little beverage area using my recently painted drawer. (See it here.) Guests could easily grab a cup, napkin, and straw and fill up with some pink lemonade. There was also punch, but I didn’t manage to get a shot of that or the food. But don’t worry, I did get a picture of the dessert table. 😉 (Priorities, right?!)baby girl block cakedessert tableThe cake, which we ordered from a local bakery, turned out so adorable! We had way more sweets than we needed, but after all, little girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice! (P.S. I also made the tiered platter using 2 plates, a candlestick, and some gorilla glue.)

And speaking of sugar …hershey bar favorsbaby-shower-hershey-favorsThese are the favors I made for the guests. I colored in the ‘she’ in Hershey’s using a pink sharpie, and then added the ribbon and little tag. (I like puns!)

I’m so glad I was able to do this for my friend so her family and friends could shower her with so much love. We can’t wait to meet the little one!


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Happy New Year!

Well hello, old friends! It certainly has been awhile. I’ve been wanting to get back to blogging, but I haven’t had time to write and honestly I didn’t have anything to write about. The baby has kept us both pretty busy these past few months. Our home projects have been traded in for diaper changes, feedings, baths, sleepless nights, and snuggles.children-distraction-001I’m certainly not complaining. Our little one truly is a blessing. But I do miss decorating and DIYing and sharing it with you on this little blog.

So for now I figured I’d play catch up and share some of my favorite Fall and Christmas decor that I managed to put together this year. (My apologies if you’ve already seen some of these on Instagram.)fall-living-room-decor fall-vignette-coffee-table fall-mantel-displaychristmas-tree-chalkboard christmas-stockings-staircase christmas-pillows-and-signs christmas-tree-reflection christmas-tree-presentsAlso, I just had to share some gifts I received for Christmas. Check out this crafting apron!crafting-apron party-craft-apronAnd how cute are these chalkboard mugs?!chalkboard-mugs(Thanks, family. You get me!)

Hopefully in 2016 we’ll get back to some more projects. On my wish list: new carpet and couch for our family room, a DIY coffee table with storage, and maybe a new front door. Hey, a girl can daydream!

Wishing you a prosperous, productive, and peaceful New Year!

 


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A Sweet Makeover

Well I can’t show you the bathroom just yet, but I can show you the nursery! I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to before the baby arrived, but luckily he or she is still cooking … giving us a little more time to get things done (and putting my mind at ease)!

You may recall this is how the room used to look – reserved for guests.Guest BedroomAnd here’s how it looks now – reserved for our little one. 🙂Gender neutral nursery room decor Since we don’t know what we’re having (aside from a baby of course), we went with gender neutral colors of gray, yellow, and white.

My husband took on the task of painting the room since I really shouldn’t be around the fumes. We chose the color Passive from HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams.

I wanted a little something extra in the room, so on one of the walls Jamie added the white stripes. (No, not the band!)Paint stripes in nursery using Frog's Tape White stripes in gray nurseryI love how it turned out! Simple and subtle, but so cute!White crib in gray nurseryNow, let me take you around the room to show you some of the other details.

Here’s a little shelf above the crib that not only holds our video monitor, but also has faux flowers from my baby shower (see more about that here), a cute little giraffe from my friend who threw the shower, and a Beatrix Potter puzzle frame that came directly from the author’s hometown in England!Nursery shelf vignetteThis, of course, is the dresser/changing area. What I love most about it is the colorful gallery wall. But I’ll have more on that in my next post 😉Nursery dresser and gallery wall Did you notice the rug?! We had a few issues purchasing it from Target. It kept going out of stock and then we had some shipping issues, but I’m so glad it ended up working out. It’s so soft and adds such coziness to the room. Those stars are just too cute!Circo gray stars area rug And this corner of the room might just be my favorite spot. I can already envision all the feeding, rocking, and reading to Baby M that will happen here!Gray glider gender neutral nursery I’m so glad this room finally came together. As a mom-to-be, it was important to me to be able to create a space where our little one will grow, have dreams, play, imagine, and make memories!

 

 

 


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Showered with Love

I’ve been debating whether to post about the baby shower one of my best friends recently threw for me and our little one on the way. It was such a beautiful event and there were so many little details that I decided I just had to share!

So first let me start with the fun details. Check out these centerpieces!Yellow mason jar centerpiece with ribbonDaisy and lemon slice mason jar centerpieceThey are so simple, yet so sweet. There’s just something about flowers and mason jars!

The punch was cute and creative — made to look like a bubble bath with rubber duckies!Baby shower bath punchBaby shower punch with rubber ducksMy talented friend also made this adorable fruit bassinet and diaper cake!Baby bassinet made of fruit DIY diaper cake for baby showerI hate to have to take it apart, but those diapers are certainly going to be needed 🙂

The shower games were kept to a minimum. We did the one where guests cut a piece of string to how big around they think I am. It was silly, but fun. There was also a pool for people to guess the gender and date of Baby M’s arrival using little pink or blue feet stamps.Baby pool calendar with feet stamps*Winner will be determined once the baby makes his/her debut!

My favorite activity was the wishes that family and friends wrote for the baby.Baby wishes chalkboard I have a little project up my sleeve for those. Stay tuned and look for a sneak peek on Instagram!

And before guests left, these cute favors of popcorn were handed out.Ready to pop baby shower favorsReady to pop! Haha, get it?! 😛

Now for the more serious side. As I said, the day was truly beautiful. It was filled with so much love. The best moment ended up coming from my husband, who wasn’t there. I was opening the card to the very last gift and I was surprised when I read that it was from him! I was taken aback and started to tear up. When I opened the gift I saw it was a brand new Nikon camera! I couldn’t help myself and started to cry. (Thanks hormones!) It was such a thoughtful and unexpected gift. It might sound silly, but in that moment I felt a true sense of love from him. He knows how much I love photography and it meant so much to me. The camera won’t just be used for this little blog, but for capturing so many moments that lie ahead with our child … as parents … as a family!

I want to say thank you to all of our family and friends for their generosity and kind, giving hearts. It means a lot to Jamie and me knowing how much this baby is already loved and cared for as we prepare for his or her arrival.Baby shower onesie cake

 

 


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Upcoming Transformations

Maybe you noticed, maybe you didn’t. But the posts have been slacking as of late. (I apologize.) That’s not to say we aren’t still busily working on the house — we are. Well, Jamie is. I’ve had to take a backseat approach … because in just a few short months we are expecting our first child!Our family is growing by 2 feetI guess you could say we are undergoing our biggest home transformation yet! We are so overjoyed!

So as you can imagine that has been keeping us plenty busy. And Jamie being the good husband and future daddy that he is, is making sure I stay away from projects that involve a lot of physical labor (no pun intended). He is working so hard to get some of our outstanding projects crossed off the list. He is currently in the midst of building two nightstands for the master bedroom.Cut list for nightstandsAna White plans for farmhouse nightstandIsn’t this great?! He’s still working on sanding and staining them. I’m working on finding knobs and new lamps. Decorating is pretty much what I’m left with 😛  We also just ordered a new headboard. I can’t wait until it’s all put together and I can show you the reveal. In the meantime, be sure to follow me on Instagram at @oldcolonialhome for sneak peeks along the way!

We will also, obviously, need to start working on the nursery. What was the guest room will be transformed this summer into a room for our little one.Guest Bedroom I can’t wait to get going on that!

And because we don’t have enough on our plate, we will also soon be undergoing a bathroom renovation!Upstairs bathroom beforeYes, I’ve been saying that for months, but we can thank town bureaucracy for holding up the permit approval. And of course now the timing kind of stinks since a certain someone needs to get up a few times a night to use said bathroom, but it’ll be worth it in the end! I hope to show you a fantastic before and after once it’s done.

So we certainly have a lot to do, but also a lot to look forward to … in more ways than one!

Luca, however, isn’t quite sure yet 😉Luca no longer going to be an only child

 

 


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Take a Tour

I don’t know about you, but I love getting an inside look at other houses! I love seeing the different styles and tastes, and being inspired by their beauty.

So guess what? Now you can snoop around this old colonial home! You’ll notice at the top right-hand side of the page there is now a House Tour menu option. So please come on in and take a look around!White colonial house with black shutters and red doorMake sure to keep checking back for updates as the projects are always ongoing. Enjoy!


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Luca to the Rescue

black border collie mixSome might say that a house is not a home without paw prints. I know our house wouldn’t be the same without Luca, our border collie mix. Sure, we’d have less dirt and dog hair tumble weeds trailing along the floors and furniture, but it would feel empty without him. Since Luca is a rescue, we don’t know his actual birthday. So on August 5 we celebrate his Adoption Day! It was two years ago today that I picked up this little guy with his now-dubbed “lazy left ear” — and life hasn’t been the same since.luca in backseatWe may have lost a few socks, sweaters, pillows and blankets in that time due to his chewing skills, but what we’ve gained is priceless: love, affection, and loyalty. Yes, we joke that he’s part donkey (because he’s a stubborn ass), but when push comes to shove we still love every bit of him and we know he loves us back — dog kisses included!

He is our “first born.” While we may only be dog parents for now, that doesn’t mean we’re not learning something. He teaches us kindness and patience every day. He is friendly and outgoing and hasn’t met a person yet that he doesn’t like. I truly believe he helps make us better humans.giving luca a hug

cuddling luca He is our goofball. He fills our rooms with smiles and laughter. He enjoys a good butt rub and will let you know by nuzzling into you.

He is our protector. He will bark if there is someone outside or if there’s a bunny in our yard. He gets excited at the sound of the doorbell … even if it is just on the TV! It’s silly and adorable! But we always feel safer at night knowing he’s there at the top of the stairs looking out for his owners.luca the black beautySo while Jamie and I work so hard to make our old colonial house into a home — with Luca there, it already is. We love you, pal!poses of luca

 

 

 


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Celebrating One Year in Our Home

colonial-home-family-photoToday marks one year since Jamie, Luca and I moved into our very first house. On June 8, 2013, we said goodbye to renting and hello to home ownership! It’s been a year full of hard work, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. In the past year we have managed to:

Rip up the cranberry carpeting on the first floor

Refinish the hardwood floors hiding underneath said cranberry carpets

Install a stair runner

Replace the switch plates and outlet covers throughout the entire house

Install a smart thermostat

Paint the living room, family room, dining room, first and second floor hallways, upstairs bathroom, and master bedroom (including a stencil wall)

Replace the light fixtures in the dining room and entryway

Create a gallery wall in the living room

Add decor – artwork, pictures, curtains, etc.

Make a mirror out of a window pane

Refinish a dresser into our new TV stand

Build a coffee table for the living room

Freshen up the front flower beds – ripping out dead bushes and adding mulch

And of course we’re not done — there are always more projects on the list. But the sense of pride in owning your own home makes it all worth it! So please join us for our second year in this old colonial home to see what we’ll be up to next!

 

 

 


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Home Sweet Home

My husband and I recently celebrated our 3rd anniversary, and I wanted to share the gift that he got me. It’s a simple throw pillow, but it holds a lot of meaning.

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Home means something different to every person. For Jamie and me it’s always meant a state of comfort. Our physical home may have only just been established this year, but we have always felt at home just being together. Our first dance at our wedding was to Duncan Sheik’s “Home.” One of the lyrics says “When I’m with you it feels like I’m home.” And it’s so true. While we are working on making our house a home, together we already are one.

I recently came across this artwork on Etsy.

home

I found it beyond appropriate for us. I’m adding it to my list of projects in hopes that someday soon I’ll make it. I believe a home doesn’t have to be 4 walls and a roof, it can simply be a feeling. What does home mean for you?