Living Room and Dining Room - How It All Came Together

Warning: This is going to be a long one with as much detail as I can remember!

So, as you saw in this post, after almost three years of living in our home, we finally decorated!  And  boy does it feel good to 1) have it done and 2) be able to walk into your home and enjoy it.  It's frivolous, certainly, and wasn't something that we needed (heck, we do/buy a lot of things we don't need), but I'm glad we did it and it's done!  And, now we're already talking about our next projects.  Haha, I don't know what we'd do if we bought a house that didn't have projects... I guess we'd come up with some just to stay busy.

But, back to the matters at hand.  As I've mentioned time and time again, Capella Kincheloe was the brain child, and we just executed her master plan.  Since I'd worked with Capella before and we'd become friends, she had a good idea of my style and how far she could push it.  We gave her a budget, not a small number but also not too much when considering furnishing three rooms that included some big ticket items.  We splurged in some areas and saved in others.  She put together the plan and idea boards, and we got going.

The basic plan remained the same, but small things evolved along the way like pillows, accessories, paint colors, light fixtures, etc.  If you pin any of these photos, please credit Capella Kincheloe Interior Design!!



Capella Kincheloe Interior Design

Capella Kincheloe Interior Design



Capella Kincheloe Interior Design

Living Room Source List:
Paint - Benjamin Moore (I think we ended up using Sweet Caroline but I will have to check on that and edit as necessary... it's a light minty green)
Sofa - Pottery Barn Landon in Oatmeal Slubby Basketweave
Sofa pillows - ABC Home and Etsy (Suzani from seller Pillowcoversetc)
Ottoman - Crate & Barrel Willow Large Ottoman in Spruce (I don't see it on their website now) with trim added by moi
Woven ottomans - Crate & Barrel Samar Ottoman
Small Gold Side Table - Overstock
Chairs - craigslist
Sofa Table - Scott's Antique Market
Round Scalloped Side Table - craigslist
Lamps - Scott's Antique Market
Lamp Shades - lampsusa.com
Art - from our trip to Greece
Frames above Sofa - Ikea, painted champagne gold
Mirror installation above fireplace - Ikea Lots mirrors, trim painted BM Van Buren Brown (HC-70), decorative tacks where the corners of the mirrors meet (you can't see the tacks in the photos but you can see them in person)
Deer head candelabra - Scott's Antique Market
Accessories - West Elm, Scott's Antique Market, Goodwill, things already owned
Rug - Pottery Barn Malika (already owned)
Built-ins - Custom (Big Bear Construction in Atlanta), painted your basic white and the backs are BM Van Buren Brown, knobs are from Lee Valley

The built-ins were the most expensive thing in this room.  In fact, they were 33% of the total budget for all of the rooms, but they really needed to be redone.  We contemplated trying to retrofit our existing ones, but ultimately decided that we didn't want to do the work necessary for that and wanted to change them a bit more than retrofitting them would allow.  They were built for a mid-90s TV (i.e., deeper than we needed), and we knew we could gain a few extra inches by only making them deep enough for our TV components (DVD player, receiver, etc.).  We also made them wider and had them made to fit our TV perfectly, as Matt said we'd never get a bigger TV for that room (I think we have a 50").

The big DIY stuff was in this room.  When purchased, the lamps were originally tarnished brass or copper or something.  We cleaned them up, spray painted them keeping a little band of the brass showing for fun, put in new electrical components, and got the chocolate brown lamp shades.  The deer head candelabra is some sort of rough, heavy (dull) metal (maybe iron?), so I also cleaned that up and spray painted it.  I added the trim to the ottoman to make it a little more custom.  I spray painted the Ikea frames, and Matt and I hung them (some work trying to get 8 lined up perfectly... plus you have to put the hanging hardware on them yourself).  Capella doctored the photos in the frames to make them a bit more artsy (all ours from top L-R: Maddie, sunset in Santorini, our feet in the Pacific, walking down the aisle; bottom L-R: church where we were married, an engagement photo, Max, tree in a vineyard in Sonoma).  It will be fun to be able to change the photos out as we add to our family (the photos are 16x20).  We installed the mirrors over the fireplace (after a failed attempt to antique them) and trimmed them out (probably at a total cost of less than $60).  It might not sound like a lot of work, but as you know if you're a DIYer... these things take awhile, especially when you have full time jobs and other responsibilities too!

Now, onto the dining room...

 

Capella Kincheloe Interior Design

Capella Kincheloe Interior Design

Capella Kincheloe Interior Design



Capella Kincheloe Interior Design

(I like this last shot because you can see into the LR... if you were looking straight through that doorway, you'd be staring through the kitchen to the back door out to our screened-in patio... probably the next sprucing up project.)

Dining Room Source List:
Paint - BM Pacific Ocean Blue (this scared the crap out of me, but I trusted Capella and I'm glad I did)
Table - craigslist
Chairs - craigslist (from a restaurant furniture liquidation - $220 for 8!!!)
Shelves - French Shopkeeper Shelves from Wisteria
Rug - Crate and Barrel
Light fixture - Savoy House Forum Four Light Pendant in Gold Dust (purchased from Wayfair.com)
Curtains - West Elm Luxe Window Panels in Ivory
Accessories - Ikea, Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, Container Store, things I already owned
Mirror - already owned (Ikea)
Frames - Pottery Barn
Art - Etsy (seller RSJakeGraphics)
Corbels (used as candle sconces) - http://crown-molding.com/Corbel-C8030-mantel-corbels.aspx

This room didn't require as much DIY.  We hung the mirror, curtains, light fixture, art, etc., which of course all takes time, but I didn't have to "create" anything for this room.  It came together pretty easily.  This room is small (11.5'x11.5'), so we had to play around with it to make it seat 6-8.  You can seat 6 comfortably at the table (and that's how we have it set up), but it's pretty small.  Eight is doable, but would be tight and would have to be a buffet set up because there wouldn't be any room for food on the table.  The shelves double as a bar, and we would use that to set up food if we entertained for a group.  The nice thing is that there's enough room for a small card table, so we could have a kids table in the future and all eat together.

The kitchen will be kept under wraps until after the magazine comes out, which probably won't be until Spring 2013.  The shoot went great and it was really fun to see the editor and photographer in action.  I can't wait to see the pictures!!  (And, I still can't believe my kitchen will be in a magazine... so funny.)

An Update on Our Attempts to Procreate

Soooooo, things have gotten interesting.  That cyst they saw on my ovary, yeah... more than likely, that was no cyst.  It was a nice, ripe egg!  I went back a week later (i.e., last Thursday) and it was gone.  So, we said, "Yay, it resolved itself!  Let's get some bloodwork then we'll call to schedule you to start your stim."  So, they call to schedule the stim give me bloodwork results, and I ovulated.  HUH?  My estrogen and progesterone levels all pointed to the fact that the cyst was an egg and I ovulated.  While on birth control.  AND Lupron!  My body does what it wants.  Ain't no meds going to hold down my ovaries.  (And, this my friends is how you can get pregnant on the pill.  Don't say I didn't warn you.)

So, I am STILL on the Lupron (this is much longer than I would have preferred to be taking this crap... I hate taking meds... except the ones that make my skin clear... those I looooooove).  I'm now basically having a "normal" cycle.  I should start my period (again) by next Wednesday, then I will go back to check my estrogen just to make sure my body isn't totally whack.  If all is good, I will start stim that weekend.  If I don't start my period, I will go Thursday for another ultrasound and bloodwork and then we'll take it from there.

Try not to be jealous of all the talk of needles and transvaginal ultrasounds.  It's a glamorous life, but someone has to live it!  ;)  I haven't even told you about the joys of the HSG or hysteroscopy.  Wow.  That would certainly make anyone who hasn't lived through that jealous!

P.S.  Don't be all, "Well you ovulated, you might be pregnant!"  First, I'm not.  There are things that must happen for that to happen and those things did not happen within an acceptable window of me releasing my egg.  Capeche?  Second, I don't think I'd WANT to be pregnant while I'm jacking up my body full of Lupron.  It's a Category X medicine (i.e., run away if you're knocked up).

My Husband, the Chef

Just going to do a little bragging for a moment, because this is my corner of the interwebs and I do what I want!  Last night, Matt made dinner.  While I do most of the cooking, he is quite handy in the kitchen (and on the grill) and it's usually something good when he's in the kitchen.  Well, yesterday he just whipped up some braised short ribs, goat cheese polenta, and roasted beets with balsamic reduction, which we put over some greens with feta and toasted pecans and a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil.  And a 2009 Highway 12 cab.  Ohmydeliciousness.  Oh, and lest I forget the warm peach cobbler for dessert!  (Paleo?  What's that?  ;)  I will give him credit in that there was very little sugar or flour in the cobbler... props to my man for picking a good recipe... as he said, the peaches were sweet enough.)  I had leftovers for lunch today, and while the presentation wasn't as pretty as it was last night (you know, tupperware containers and computer in the background and all), it was still damn good.  I'd like to take this moment to thank my Momma Kath for instilling a love of food and the ability to cook in her son.  God bless you.  :)

P.S.  To whomever our next dinner guests are... strong chance this will be on the menu, same salad if we're still getting copious amounts of beets from our CSA.
P.P.S.  What's not to love about a guy who uses the Pioneer Woman's recipes?  Can I get an amen!?  I think he took some artistic liberties but mostly followed the recipe.
P.P.P.S.  For the salad, just roast some beets, cool and peel 'em, slice 'em, reduce some balsamic on the stove until syrupy, then toss the beets and balsamic in a bowl.  The rest is self explanatory.

Vote YES!

Hey you Atlanta area voters... go out and vote YES on July 31!  Help us unlock our traffic problems (and keep my husband employed in the metro area... IDON'TWANNAHAVETOMOOOOOOVVVEEEE!)  Please and thank you!

Ain't that special

Well, as it tends to go for us in this process, more waiting.  I was supposed to begin stimulation tomorrow, but at my baseline today, they saw a small cyst on my left ovary (funny, since this is the first one we've seen over the course of everything else we've done... I suspect my ovaries were a little whacked out after the last round of IVF).  In and of itself, that's not necessarily a problem, but after getting my blood work back, it is producing hormones (my estrogen was higher than it should be).  So, back on the pill for a week and continued higher dosage of Lupron to try to nip it in the bud.  I'll go back next Thursday to see what's going on, and hopefully it's decided to vacate the premises.  If not, we might go in and force eviction (and by we, I mean my highly trained medical team... I did want to be a doctor most of my life, but now I only play one on TV the interwebs).  The reason we can't start stimulating now is because I could hyperstimulate, and that would be quite unpleasant.

So, whatevs.  That's that.  I'm sort of over it.  I just have zero expectations this time around.  I am neither optimistic nor pessimistic.  I kind of almost don't care.  I do, obviously, but I guess the defense mechanism of ambivalence is currently active.  I clearly have no control, so I'm just along for the ride.  Whatever is going to happen is going to happen.  And, if nothing happens, well then we're already planning for a second opinion from the fine folks out in Colorado.  I think our clinic is great, and I totally trust the doctors and embryologists, but CCRM is just the best there is.  And given our issues with fertilization, if anyone can give us answers or better odds, it's them.

In other news, we might go to a movie... at a movie theater... tonight.  This is epic for a few reasons: 1) it's a school night, 2) I am pretty certain the last movie either of us saw in a theater was Tron in 3D Christmas 2010, and 3) we rarely do ANYTHING during the week.  A usual weeknight for us consists of cooking dinner, walking the dogs, maybe a little cleaning, and watching TV or reading.  Might as well live on the edge while we're DINKs.

Good Read

My friend/uber talented interior designer did a great interview with Pretty Haus that you should go read. 

Work has been crazy, and in the last three weeks I traveled to Boca Grande, FL and Las Vegas, NV and started IVF #2 (also known as the one that is going to result in a pregnancy which will result in a healthy baby... or babies).  I've got pictures to post and things to say once I can come up for air.  Until then, hugs and kisses.

P.S.  If you watched the Miss USA pageant, you may have seen my big ol' mug on TV after they announced Georgia as part of the top 16.  That makes two national TV appearances, thankyouverymuch.  Ahhh, but how fleeting is the 3 seconds of fame.  ;)

Vegas, Baby!

In 20 minutes, I am leaving work to go here...



for this...

to cheer on her...

and hang out with the best people in pageantry!  Yay!  I'm a dork and I don't care!