Photo of the Day: Crazy Cat

After spending way too much money in vet bills, I think we’ve officially adopted the black cat we rescued a couple of months ago. It just occurred to me that I’d only taken one picture of him. After trying for quite a while yesterday, I realize why. He doesn’t sit still for one. single. second. He’s the most affectionate cat you’ll ever meet, but he still doesn’t get along great with our other cat. He chases her in what seems to be an assertion of dominance. Any tips out there?

Photo of the Day: Sláinte

This weekend my husband and I attended one of our favorite annual events with a group of friends – the KC Irish Fest. This Irish band, We Banjo 3, rocked it! We all loved their show – from their musical talent, to their upbeat music, to their energetic stage presence.

(Sláinte = Cheers in Irish)

Photo(s) of the Day: Dining Room Reveal

As promised, I’m finally posting photos from our dining room makeover. We started late May and had most of it complete by mid-June. It took me awhile to accessorize the space. I just hung our final piece – a new clock – last week. I’m still debating on whether to spray paint or replace the chandelier – what do you think? (It looks like brass in some the photos, but it’s actually more of a dark copper.

Before: This is the dining room (with our new table) shortly after we moved in March.
One evening in May, I got an inkling to remove the border.
With a spray bottle of vinegar water, a hair dryer, and a scraper, it came down (in two layers) easier than I thought. We knocked out the entire border in just a couple of hours.
Picking out paint colors may have been the hardest part. Four samples and three trips to Lowe’s later, we decided on “hot chocolate” for the top half.
Painting complete! As you can see, we also painted the trim. We stopped at the entryway to the living room since we weren’t ready to do the entire house yet.
After: Here’s our completed dining room with chair rail (installed by my father & husband while I was at work), canvas art, and new curtains.
After: A view of the dining room with our new, re-finished hutch. FYI, that’s an Aloe vera plant.
And…done. I bought the rug from Old Time Pottery for $47! (Scroll up to compare it to the first photo, and let me know your thoughts!)

And here’s the entire series:

Home Tour
We Bought A Hutch
Dining Room Triptych