Before (side yard and backyard)

We have to hire someone to grade and level our back and side yards so we can put in a fence. Here is what it originally looks like. I can't wait to get a backyard!!

Sage Kitchen

I knew all along I wanted a green kitchen. After sorting through dozens of choices, I finally settled on this one by Glidden--Soft Sage. We painted it late at night and were a little skeptical as it went on very bright and very pistachio. But in natural light, it is a little more neutral and we like it.

Still trying to figure out some colors that go well with this. All of the suggestions seem to be for pink and I'm pretty sure I'm not into a pink and green kitchen. I'm thinking of maybe adding some colors next to it on the colorwheel--maybe some different shades of green or blues or yellows.

Let me know if you have any brilliant ideas. I'd like to get some curtains up soon but I don't know where I am going with this yet.

Living Room Color Theme

I've been trying to learn more about decorating and have figured out that people who use the colorwheel seem to make better decisions. I'm still not sure what I want to do with my living room once I get a new couch, but I've been trying to brainstorm some ideas.

I really like the paprika color of my curtains. I have a lot of pillows with the same reddish-orange color as well, but I think they are a little much--red is such a dominant color.

I also have these blue/blue-green pieces that I think would look good with the paprika color. What if I add some cool accent pillows in this color? How much of it would I need? I'm not sure this color combination fits the colorwheel exactly, but I am hoping it is close enough since the red seems to be an in-between red and orange color and the blue seems to be in-between blue and green. That makes them complimentary, right??

If I'm way off, let me know before I get invested in it!!

Living Room & New Couch

We put up my old paprika colored curtains, even though my husband isn't fond of them. I'm really not sure why. For now, we are using our new sectional (our old couches had broken frames and needed replaced), which will eventually relocate downstairs to a family room/tv area. I am holding out to do anything too work intensive until we switch to a different couch. Oh, and I realized I forgot to take a photo of the other direction.

The end tables are hand-me-downs from my husband's grandparents. They are functional and will do for now, but someday I'd like to upgrade. We've had the lamps for several years, but replaced the lampshades with free ones from a sister. I think they are a little small, but will do for now.

One of my criteria for a sectional was making sure it had a chaise. Love it, love it!!! Here my husband models how easy this thing is to love.

Entry

I contemplated leaving the entry way white or painting it an accent color. I decided to keep it the same as the rest of the living room--Glidden's Water Chestnut. To most, it looks almost the same as the master bedroom color, but I think it is a little more brown. The photo doesn't reflect this, but the entire entry way is painted, not just the right wall.

My husband is a pro at hanging frames and mirrors. This mirror is actually 100% level.

I finally put together my topiary from Christmas. I think I need to play with the shape a little bit and perhaps even get a little more greenery. But, I guess it looks okay. People keep asking me if it is real.

More Master Bedroom

I am new at this decorating thing and not very good at it. I have noticed that a lot of home magazines use a lot of fake plants, so I knew enough that I should probably start getting some too. I am just glad many fake plants actually look real these days.

I found this at TJ Maxx and was a little hesitant about buying it, but I decided to use some birthday money from my husband's parents. I must say I absolutely love these flowers. It makes me feel like at least this corner of my room could go in a magazine. My husband was also equally pleased--and I think a little surprised at how nice they look.

We were a little concerned this dresser wouldn't fit, but it was just right--a 1/4" longer and it wouldn't have worked. I think the hardware needs to be updated, but I think it looks pretty good for 50 year old furniture.

Still nothing on the walls. Pretty sure I won't undertake that for awhile. Frames are expensive and I have absolutely no idea what I am doing when it comes to wall space. Miranda, are you there? I'd love a consultant someday.

Master Bedroom

I am noticing that paint colors do not show up very well in photos--at least mine. Here is the master bedroom. This paint color--Glidden's Natural Linen--is my absolute favorite that I've chosen. We got the bedroom set from my husband's mother--she had it when she was a child. I was a little worried that the black furniture wouldn't look good with my tan and brown theme, but I decided to go with it and I think it looks pretty good. I can at least stand it until I can someday afford a brand new set.

Brown curtains from Ikea. I'm glad I could still use them since I bought them before I knew what I was doing with the rest of the room. The sheer panel was just a few bucks from Walmart. I originally planned on blinds, but this was a less expensive alternative.

We decided to down-grade to my queen size bed because it fit better than the king. I'm glad we haven't noticed too much of a challenge sharing a smaller space.

I've been looking for a bed set for a long time, but could never find anything that caught my eye for the right price. Just in time, though, my husband found this set at Sam's Club. It was a huge bargain and I love it. It matches the paint perfectly and has a nice neutral, calm feeling. I also love green.

I love this lamp. It was my husband's grandmother's. The lamp shade is a bit dated (and dusty) but I can't seem to find a replacement. I am considering re-covering it. It seems like people do that fairly often and I know there are online tutorials.

We still need new sheets that match, but I figure I can't buy everything I want right away--although it's tempting.

Patio/Porch Set

We found a really screaming deal on this patio set. My husband is a great negotiator and we were able to get the last one (the floor model) for $60. I like how the colors coordinate with the house. Plus, I'm a huge fan of this red. Now we just need to adjust the sprinklers so they stop spraying them. Maybe then I'll put a cute little potted plant on the table.

Shrubs

I am not sure what most of our shrubs are called. But I like them. Some of them are kind of in a weird stage and I'll be glad when they start to take on the right shape.

I do know these green ones are Boxwoods. I love them.

More photos of trees

Trees

Our HOA required that we put in 6 trees. I never realized how difficult it was to pick out a tree. I had no idea there were so many varieties. We ended up with the following:

2 Spiral Junipers--I knew I wanted these babies all along, but was concerned about the high cost and the difficulty in finding ones I liked. We finally found these for only $35. I just hope they actually count as trees and not just shrubs.

3 Flowering Pears--in the parking strip. We were lucky and got them for a good price, but I can't remember how much exactly.

1 Japanese Maple--$25 from Walmart. We were worried about this little guy, but he is really recovering from a nasty snow storm and is looking quite nice. We were advised not to place him in the afternoon sun, but went with it anyway. We figured for $25 we could take the risk. Seems to be fine. We'll see what happens in the scorching heat of August.

Rose Bushes

I spent many hours of my adolescence pruning and caring for the many rose bushes we had in our yard. At first I hated it, but I eventually learned to love "my" rosebushes. My parents gave me three rose bushes for my birthday last week and I was very excited to add them to my landscape. I am really hoping they will hide some of the ugly utility boxes in that flowerbed.

What a great gift. Long-lasting, beautiful, and sentimental. And these red, long stem roses are gorgeous!

Finished Table

Here is the finished product. I love how it coordinates much better with the kitchen.

One of the dogs at my in-laws' house chewed up this foot. Russell did a great job repairing it. You can't even tell!

Chairs

So my husband finished refinishing our table, like I mentioned before. But now we have two leaves (not super difficult) and 8 chairs to refinish. I started trying to strip and sand them, but it was super hard and tedious with all of the small nooks and crannies and spindles. Is it worth it? I know chairs are expensive.

Does anyone know of any affordable unfinished furniture shops? I am thinking it might be worth it to just buy new ones and stain them to match. Are two-tone dining sets in style yet?

Refinished Table

We received a hand-me-down kitchen table from my in-laws. I was grateful to finally have a table to eat off of after 3 years of eating at the couch. It was a little rough--the stain was scraped off and bubbled in some spots, but it was a solid, well-made piece. My husband decided to refinish the table to update the color, coordinate it better with our kitchen cabinets, and improve the texture of the finish. Despite the photos, I didn't do much. This was our first refinishing project and it was worth it, but a lot of work (and I didn't even hardly do any of it!). I'll get photos of the finished product when I get my camera hooked up to the computer. I am pleased with the outcome. Thank you sweet husband!