This Old Colonial Home

Filling our house with love and a lot of DIY


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A Little Paint Goes a Long Way

We’re slowly but surely making progress on changing our walls from being all white. This weekend I tackled the upstairs bathroom while my husband took on the dining room. Isn’t it amazing how just a coat (or two) of paint can make such a difference?

For the upstairs bath we both wanted a light blue. We decided to go with Tinsel Beam by Valspar. And I must say I love it! This bathroom was meant to be blue – now it pops!

bathroom before

Before

bathroom after

After

Note: I really can’t take all the credit. Jamie actually painted the first coat awhile ago. I just added the second coat :-p

As for the dining room, we both agreed we wanted a sage-y color. We chose Mint Frost by Valspar. Again, I’m so happy with this color! Jamie did a great job! Here’s a before and after:

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Before

dining room

And just for fun here’s a panorama of our front three rooms – dining room, entryway/hall and living room. The entryway/hall was painted awhile back too. The color is Cream in My Coffee by Valspar. It’s a shade lighter than the living room, which is Desert Fortress by Valspar. (We’re big fans of Lowe’s paint if you couldn’t tell!)

panorama

Next up for paint is the family room and then the master bedroom. What are some of your favorite paint colors?

 

 

 

 

 


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Lighten Up

My husband and I currently have several little projects going on all at once. One of those projects was replacing the two light fixtures in our entryway. They were simply old, ugly, dated and not our style.

entry lights

Before

Ideally, I wanted something simple above the door and something a little fancier in the main part of the hallway, and of course, something that would go well together. After much time spent searching online, we finally found two we liked. We ended up receiving the fixtures for Christmas (thank you Barb, Jim & Maureen!)

It was one of the first things Jamie tackled when we returned home. It’s amazing how such a small change can make such a big difference!

light 2

After

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Above the door

light 1

Main hallway

Jamie is also working on painting the upstairs bathroom and the dining room, while I’m working on some artwork for the living room. What projects are you working on already in the new year?


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Home for the Holidays

Did any of you score some post-Christmas deals?! I usually avoid the stores after the holidays, but while visiting my parents I happened to see an ad in the paper for Hobby Lobby – 66% off all their holiday decorations! This was an opportunity I knew I couldn’t miss, especially since we don’t have a Hobby Lobby near us in Jersey. My mom was gracious enough to join me, and boy did she help me snag some good deals!

I knew I needed a wreath for our front door. I had picked out a typical green pine one, but she talked me into this one, and I’m so glad she did!

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It’s so unique! The best part – it was originally $70, I got it for $23! Here it is on our front door. I don’t think the picture quite does it justice.

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Since we have a colonial house, some year I wanted to get wreaths to hang on all of our front windows. Well, next year I’ll be able to! I also scooped up 5 wreaths, bows and ribbon for a total of less than $25!

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I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank our family for all of their generosity this Christmas. Your thoughtful gifts are truly helping make our house a home. We are so blessed! Here’s just a small sampling (pillows were popular, which is great because they add such warmth!)

It's A Wonderful Life pillow from my husband

It’s A Wonderful Life pillow

Awesome handmade canvas throw pillows inspired by Etsy

Handmade canvas throw pillows inspired by Etsy, as well as a new velvet blue throw pillow

I Love You shams and new yellow throw pillow

I Love You shams and a new yellow throw pillow

We also received several gift cards, which will come in handy as I start to decorate more (look for a gallery wall coming soon hopefully). And we received new light fixtures for our entryway. Check back for that post shortly.

And of course, Christmas wasn’t just about the deals and gifts – it was a chance to celebrate our faith, spend time with our family and friends, and to slow down just for a little while. We hope you were able to do the same!


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O Christmas Tree

What is it about Christmas trees? It’s kind of an odd tradition when you really think about it, but there’s just something so magical about them. My husband and I aren’t even around much to enjoy it, but we can’t imagine not having one. So over the weekend, the two of us set out to get a real Christmas tree. We went to a local place, and after about half an hour walking through the rows of trees in the crisp weather we finally decided on this one.

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They strapped it to the roof of our car and off we went back home to decorate it. Once we got it inside, as is tradition, I put on some Christmas music to listen to while we worked. We also had the fire going. There were a few issues with some strings of lights and I had to make an unexpected trip to Walgreens, but otherwise it was enjoyable. I think unwrapping the ornaments is my favorite part. It’s always a surprise – “Oh yeah, I forgot about this one!” And then finding the perfect spot to place it on the tree.

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And just when we finished, it started snowing! I love that! Here’s the final result. I had fun playing around with different camera settings.

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What’s your favorite part about trimming the tree?


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Deck the Halls

Since Thanksgiving fell so late this year, we quickly had to turn from thankfulness to the Christmas craziness. I don’t know about you, but I just can’t allow myself to get into the holiday spirit until after Thanksgiving, even if that does mean there are only 4 weeks left (eek!). That being said, we wasted no time this past weekend getting ready for the first Christmas in our new home.

The first thing I tackled – after cleaning – was the mantel. I didn’t really have a plan of attack. The only thing I knew I wanted to incorporate was a 6-pane window I found in the attic of our garage. So I started with that and worked around it using items I already had. One issue I encountered – there’s an outlet on the wall above the mantel, which you can easily hide with a picture or clock, but with a window, not so much. In comes the “Happy Holidays” sign. I decided to hang that from the window using gift wrapping ribbon and voila, the outlet is now strategically hidden!

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I continued to go through our Christmas storage bins, picking out anything that caught my eye and might work. I used pre-lit garland, candle sticks, my favorite chalkboard platter, and real pine cones left over from my Thanksgiving place card holders! Oh and remember those two wooden sleds I snagged for free (see post here)? I used the smaller one by the fireplace, adding a little faux garland to it. Here’s the final result:

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In the dining room, I changed out the table runner and added a simple glass bowl filled with ornaments. I also put a few decorative items on the ladder shelf, including 3 mason jars with pine cones inside, to carry over from the living room.

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Outside, I used the larger sled on our front steps. I added real pine branches, which I found in someone’s curbside leaf pile, and I used that same gift wrapping ribbon for the bow! I am beyond happy with this decoration. It was completely free!

sled

And, of course, it wouldn’t be Christmas without lights! I placed candles in all of the front windows and my husband adorned the bushes. I love white lights, they’re so classy!

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Next weekend we get the tree! What are some of your decorating tricks?


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Happy Thanksgiving!

Candle and leaves centerpiece with Scrabble tiles Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. In our family it’s a day dedicated to spending time with one another, giving thanks for what we have, and indulging in some pretty awesome food! We refuse to allow Black Friday to take over and ruin this special day. It’s a time to gather around the table and enjoy each other’s company.

Every year we have Thanksgiving at my aunt and uncle’s house, and setting the table has always been my job – ever since I was a little kid. This year, thanks to Pinterest, I was inspired to make it extra special. I made place cards and used pine cones as the holders. I made menus and also incorporated scrabble tiles and leaf garland. If you can’t go the extra mile for the holidays, when can you? And you’d never know we were eating on a ping pong table. 🙂DIY Thanksgiving menusThanksgiving place setting with menuThanksgiving menu on plate and napkin Pine cone place card holderBig Thanksgiving tablescape Cozy, candlelit Thanksgiving table Fall candlelit centerpieceI hope your Thanksgiving was filled with as much joy and love as ours was!


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One Man’s Trash Is This Woman’s Treasure

I’m so excited about the major find I just scored that I had to share! I was walking our dog, Luca, around our neighborhood when I came across these out on the curb for trash (gasp!)

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sled 2

Two gentlemen happened to be outside at the time so I asked if they really didn’t want them. They said no because they’re rusty (which is even better I think) and said I could take them. They’re perfect for Christmas decorations! I quickly walked Luca home and returned right back to pick them up. Best part – they were free!! Check back later to see how I incorporate both into my holiday décor.

 


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Enveloped by Fall

If you’ve been following along, then you know by now that this is my favorite time of year. And while Fall has been showing up in New Jersey these past few weeks, I swear it exploded over the weekend while we were away! I’m pretty sure the trees in our front and back yard were still mostly green as of Halloween. But this morning I snapped this photo!

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While walking our dog, I also came across this, which pretty much sums it up. I heart fall!

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Don’t you just love a beautiful, sunny, crisp autumn day?


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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.

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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?