This Thing Called Summer

Here's the truth my friends.  My ability and willingness to devote much time to this blog has really slopped of as of late (I'm sure you've noticed?)  But here's the thing, my kidlets are all home for summer which is awesome and fun and crazy and busy.  There are demands to do fun things, eat, play with friends, eat, go swimming, eat.  You get the picture.  In less then 2 weeks the older three will be off to school and I am anticipating much more time to devote to this little endeavor on the internet.

My house is kind of in a standstill right now.  Progress is being made, but in very slow increments.  I was just saying to the hubs the other day that there is not one room in this house I like at the moment.  Piles and stuff are everywhere.  I'm finding that things that worked in my last house just aren't going to work here and that's great and fun and exciting, but it will also take time and some extra $$ to get it where it needs to be.  I need time and quiet to think and place things where they need to be.  My creative process can be a bit slower than others.

So please be patient with me.  I'll be back with fun things soon, but for now I'm going to soak up the last bits of summer and not feel guilty for spending time with my kids instead of tucked away in my room writing a post.

For now enjoy the following cute faces, cause I sure am!

Fireplace Makeover

When you enter our home you walk right into the living room.  I like and dislike this at the same time.  I think it's nice to have an entry way that welcomes your guests into your home and gives them an idea of what to expect next.  This house will give me the opportunity to create my own entry of sorts.  If I can pull it off, it will look amazing.

For now the only thing that is greeting guests is my oversized couch and chairs and a fireplace that lacks any sense of style.  That is until this week.  The fireplace finally got a major upgrade and I could not be more pleased!!

Here is the before:

Very unexciting and with no mantle!!  How can you not have a mantle?!?  Where would I put my Christmas lights and pretty things?  

Pinterest became by friend in the search for the perfect mantle for this space.  I lean traditional in my taste but really enjoy an element or two of modern.  I knew right away I didn't want your traditional fireplace, but I also didn't want anything too modern.  Below are some of the fireplaces I pinned to my board for inspiration.

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I liked all of these for different reasons, but none of them "spoke" to me - if you know what I mean.  When I came across this fireplace though, I knew it was the one!

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I just loved the modern lines with a hint of traditional still there.  The key really is the top being more boxy and not angling out so much at the base of the mantle.  That became very apparent in the construction process and we had to do a few tweaks but the result could not be more perfect and I am THRILLED with how it looks.  

Doesn't it look awesome?!?!  I am so happy with it and it has made a HUGE difference in the way the house feels and how I feel about the house.  I can't wait to decorate it, but I'm going to make sure the paint is good and dry before I stick anything on it.

How I got the mantle is quite the story and I will fill you in on that in my next post.  Until then I hope you like this as much as I do.  It's perfection to me!

Update - The White Trim

We will get back to our trip to Paris later on, but I think it's time we get back to the house and I give you a few updates.  Things are still improving around here, just not as quickly as I may like.  Summer is a time to relax and enjoy your kids.  They go back to school soon so I'm waiting until then to really dig in and attack some of the projects I have in my brain!

One project that has gotten done - mostly - is the white trim.  Many of you will remember the post (go HERE) a few months ago when I was second guessing whether I should do it.  I am SO glad I did.  I think it looks amazing!!  I had a neighbor stop by one day and tell me how much she liked it.  She did admit that she wasn't quite sure where I was going with it, but she liked the result.  Everyone who has come by likes it too, so they are either lying or being truthful.

Let's look at the before:

Here it is now:

Wow!! Even I am wowed by the difference.  Some trim I wasn't quite sure about.  The bay window in the kitchen was the big question.

Once I saw everything else painted, I knew it needed to be too but I was NOT about ready to let the painters I hired to do it.  The hubby will be doing it sometime later this fall.  I took a chance on a group called "Student Painters".  I should have been scared away by the word "student" but they seemed reputable.  I must say that I am very happy with the overall look, but on close inspection one can see that they got paint on the siding (which doesn't just wipe off like on vinyl siding), they got it on the window frames, and they dripped on some chairs we had on the deck.  In addition, they didn't originally quote me for two coats of paint, and anyone with some common sense would know just by looking at the house that the wood on this house would need two coats.  They wanted to charge me close to double the original price and I refused so they knocked it down to a little over half.  They were a bunch of college kids so I'm not totally surprised, but they are an organization that is suppose to be mentored and I don't think the higher ups are doing a good job of making sure these kids actually do a good job.  I plan on calling them later this week to discuss such a fact.  So a note to the wise, you get what you pay for - most of the time.

I hope you like the final look as much as I do.  When we get the landscaping done sometime in the next decade, it will look even better.  It makes me happy to look at and that's what matters.

I hope you all have a fabulous Tuesday!  Tomorrow I will be back with the fireplace!!!!!  The final coat of paint goes on tomorrow and I am beyond thrilled with how it looks.  It makes my house feel so much more inviting!  I can't wait to show you.

         

Our Trip to France: Normandy (Part Two)

As I stated yesterday, Normandy was my favorite place our whole trip.  I don't know if it happened to be because it was first and everything was new, but I would go back there tomorrow.  

We stayed in the tiny town of Bazenville outside a larger city of Bayeux.  Our first night there we found another town close by called Creully and went back the next day for our first official French meal of crepes and french pizza.  

 This was a chateau just outside of Creully.  I could live there for awhile!  Just breathtakingly beautiful!

We happened to be in this region on the week of the anniversary of the invasion of France by the allies during WWII.  June 6th to be exact.  We were so lucky to hit it on that week and I would again advise you to go at this time of the year if you are planning a trip.  They had a lot of things going on all week leading up to the anniversary and the crowds were not bad.  We stayed away from things on the actual anniversary for the crowd reason but I really felt we saw so many things during the week we didn't miss anything.  

One of the first places we went was the American cemetery at Omaha beach.  It was humbling to see.  It is beautifully maintained and the way they are able to make sure every cross is in a p.e.r.f.e.c.t line is amazing to me.  It really made you grateful to all the men who have died fighting for our freedoms and right to live the way we choose.  

Next we ventured south to a very famous city and tourist location, Le Mont Saint-Michel.

I loved this city.  You can park your car and walk out to it or take a bus.  We decided to let the kids burn off a little steam and walk.  It was a gorgeous day and well worth it.  I loved the city inside and they let you access a ton of it.  A must see on a trip to France.

We were back at some beaches of Normandy the next day.  We went to Pointe du Hoc where many American rangers literally scaled high cliffs to reach the German forces on the coast line.  I can think of nothing more terrifying!!  

We then ventured west to Hemeves and saw live paratroopers reenact the jumping that took place on D-Day.  It was really amazing.  The boys loved it - especially kidlet #3.

We then drove to Saint Mere Eglise where several paratroopers accidentally dropped, one famously got caught on a church steeple and hung there all night in silence so not to be discovered by the Germans (I'm not quite sure what happened when daylight came).  They put a replica to show you what it was like for him.

One of the evenings we were able to leave the kids with the grandparents and head into Bayeux on a date.  It was fun to getaway for a few hours and enjoy some good French food.

 Fried Snails

 Patee'

 Fish

 Pigeon

 Cheese Plate - THE best brie ever!!!

 Apple pastry with caramel sauce and apple sorbet - delicious!

Really cool looking dessert!

My cute date!!!

Our last day we went south again to the little tiny town of Camembert - where the cheese comes from.  They had a neat museum tour that took you through the history of the cheese coming about and it's importance to the French people.  We definitely bought some to enjoy on the rest of our trip, but it was stinky!  They call it "stinky cheese" for a reason.  The kids loved the ice cream the most and the adults enjoyed Magnum bars.  Ever have one?  If not, find one at your local international food store.  Why they don't sell them in the US in larger selections and quantities I will never know!!  A true ice cream tragedy for the American people!

On our way back and for our last night we walked around Bayeux and ate our last meal at the cutest restaurant with wonderful food.

The only draw back to this region for me was my allergies.  They were terrible!!  I have never had them this badly.  They lasted the remainder of the trip but were never quite as bad as when we were in Normandy.  Next time I will be sure to take some medication!  The pictures don't do it justice.

We bid farewell to this beautiful place and headed to Paris!  I will continue that adventure tomorrow!