HOME: WHITEWASHING OUR FIREPLACE

It’s been seven years in the making but we finally painted our fireplace! Ever since we moved in to this house I knew I wanted the brick painted. The tone of the brick was just too red and just didn’t match my blue and white aesthetic. And let me tell you, I one hundred percent wish we had done this sooner!! Painting this fireplace white makes this space feel bigger and brighter – which is exactly what I was hoping for. 

I did a lot of research on Pinterest just to make sure whitewashing was what I wanted. I will admit I was worried about choosing white (opposed to gray or navy) since our walls are already white. But the imperfection of the whitewash technique actually adds some texture and dimension and I just love how it looks against the white walls. I’m not sharing a ton of pictures because the overall space isn’t done yet. We hope to install some white shelves on either side of the fireplace so I’ll share a follow up post once that project is done (which could be many months or even a year).


In the meantime I’ll share the tools, supplies and process I used for the whitewashing! It actually was a very easy and fun project!

TOOLS AND SUPPLIES

(We had a Lowe’s gift card so everything I bought I was able to find there)

Valspar Ultra White Latex Interior Paint and Primer (I went with eggshell because I didn’t want it too shiny)

2-3 paint brushes (latex flat paint brushes)

2 buckets (one for mixing paint and water and one for just water)

1-2 sponges 

Spray bottle with water

Towels/Sheets to protect the floors and wipe up any drip

Painters Tape

PROCESS

I did some research prior to painting, but really I was banking on my friend Erin (who is an artist and who has done her fair share of home renovations) to lead the way. I sent her a simple process that Home Depot has on their website and we went from there.

Step 1: Cleaning and Prepping the Space

The day before we painted I primed the area by cleaning the brick with a gentle multi-purpose cleaner (I used my Branch Basics Spray) and a rag. After I cleaned each individual brick I vacuumed the entire area with the vacuum hose. This took me about an hour.

I then set up the painters tape along the perimeter and made sure I had enough towels and sheets to cover our hardwood floors. 

Step 2. Mix the Paint

A couple minutes before Erin arrived I mixed the paint and water together. I started with a 50/50 mix but quickly realized that was going to be too opaque for my liking so I added more paint to make it about 70% paint and 30% water.

Step 3: Paint the Bricks!

I technically didn’t watch the video I sent Erin from Home Depot but she did (thank goodness!) so she knew exactly what to do. We ended up only using paint brushes and painted each individual brick and all the mortar by hand. 

We would wet a couple of bricks at a time with a spray bottle of water and then use a paint brush to apply the paint. We would immediately use a wet sponge (we had one bucket of just water) to even out the paint and catch any drips. We ended up putting on two coats and then I went through and applied touch ups as needed. In between the first and second coats we identified only a handful of bricks to keep more opaque than the others and taped those off so we wouldn’t paint over them. This allowed us to create a nice pattern throughout the fireplace.

The painting portion took us about two hours, which included small breaks since our kiddos were playing and were very curious as to what we were doing.

And I think that’s about it! If you are on the fence about painting your brick fireplace I say do it!!! Especially if you have a small space like we do. The white completely brightened and enlarged our family room and I really couldn’t be happier.

Next up: adding shelves to either side of the fireplace! 

Thanks for all the encouragement and excitement over this project! There is nothing I love more than decorating our home and making it feel like home. 

Sláinte,

Shannon

HOME: COASTAL FALL DECOR

“I can smell autumn dancing in the breeze. The sweet chill of pumpkin, and crisp sunburnt leaves.” 

Autumn is officially here! I love the chilly mornings that turn into warm afternoons. I love sipping hot coffee while wearing a cozy oversized cardigan. I love the smell of leaves and the sound of geese flying overhead, heading south for the winter. I love picking out apples and pumpkins at the local orchards. And I love the brilliant colors that come with the changing of the leaves. As much as I love summer, fall in Ohio is truly something magical and will always hold a special place in my heart.

I’m not a huge seasonal decorator, but I do enjoy decorating for fall. With my blue and white, coastal aesthetic, sometimes that can be challenging, seeing as the colors associated with fall are reds, oranges, yellows, and browns. Today I’m breaking down how I decorate for fall to match my coastal vibe.

Stick to your current color scheme.

If you want to stay true to your coastal aesthetic, you have to stick to the colors already in your space. I choose to decorate with pumpkins in shades of blue and white since my home is based around those colors. You can also go with a softer color palette (light blues and greens, grays, tans, creams) if that’s the vibe you already have in your space.

White pumpkins can easily be found, but blue is a bit more difficult. Last year I found some blue and white napkins and paper mâchéd some old glitter pumpkins. You can also order white pumpkins in bulk from places like Amazon and Target.

Choose natural textures. 

This can be in the form of woven pumpkins, corn husk pumpkins, straw grass, wooden pumpkins, etc. Staying true to a coastal vibe with natural elements will keep the flow and easily transition your space into a cozy fall sanctuary. Target has some awesome options this season that are perfect for a coastal home. I’m looking to add this pretty herringbone woven one to my collection.

You can find some really unique coastal inspired fall decor by shopping Etsy, following artists with a coastal vibe, or making your own like I did with the paper mâché pumpkins.

Shop some of my fall decor:

Happy decorating!

Slainte,

Shannon

HOME: AT HOME WITH JAYE’S STUDIO

One of my favorite places to shop for home decor is Jaye’s Studio.  Based in New England, Jaye’s Studio has a perfectly curated collection of classic, bright, and preppy products.  The attention to detail makes this brand unique and their products one-of-a-kind.  I love their beautiful and high quality pieces for the home, but I also love their pajama collection, which is bold, bright ,and so comfy! 

Jaye’s Studio was kind enough to gift me the Staffies Enamel Oliver Tray from their new summer line and I’m in love.  This is the sweetest tray and is the perfect size for any vanity, end table, bookshelf, or countertop – basically it’s perfect for anywhere in your home.  Use it to style pretty items or use it as a catch-all.  EIther way, it will only enhance the beauty of your home.  And, the gorgeous unique staffies design is so pretty! I love the blue and white paired with the cute staffy puppies.  It’s seriously so perfectly preppy in every way.  (This print is also available in pajamas and napkins.)

Today I’ve styled this adorable tray three ways: on a bedroom end table, a living room coffee table, and on the kitchen counter. Check out the images below for some ideas on how you can style this pretty tray too! And don’t forget to use the code SHANNON15 for 15% off your order.

Bedroom End Table

I kept the styling of this example simple for our master bedroom end table with a small vase of fresh flowers and my favorite vase of sea glass. This ultra feminine look is timeless and chic and would brighten up anyone’s morning.

Living Room Coffee Table

This tray is perfect in my living room. I kept the styling simple with a single fresh hydrangea and a lovely smelling candle. All of these details create a welcoming ambiance, which is perfect for the living room as it’s the first room a guest enters when they come into our home.

Kitchen Counter

I’m using the tray in a completely different way for the kitchen. This tray is 10”12” and makes for a perfect cheese and cracker tray, a cocktail tray, or even a tray full of your favorite desserts! Use it at your next small gathering, book club event, or even on your deck or poolside while sipping your favorite cocktail.

Happy shopping!

Slainte,

Shannon

HOME: TODDLER GIRL ROOM

One of the biggest projects we are tackling this spring is converting our current guest room/catch all room into Lilly’s big girl room.  The nursery is already blue and white, so I really don’t have to do much besides swap out some artwork and the wall of wallpaper to make it original to baby brother.  Thankfully that leaves me more time to spend on making Lilly’s room special for her.  

My inspiration for this room is really coming from two sources. The first is from Caitlin Wilson Design. This is one of my favorite interior designers to follow and in the past year she launched a kids collection that is full of preppy florals and bows. The entire collection is just darling. Because we have so many home projects and a new baby on the way, I’m trying to be economical about my purchases. I may only buy a one or two pieces from the Caitlin Wilson line, but most of the items I purchase will be inspired by their beautiful style.

The second form of inspiration is Lilly herself.  Lilly is quite the vivacious two year old who is just so full of life.  She is such a bright light in our lives and I want her room to reflect her bold, lively nature.  Lilly and I both chose this gorgeous, bright floral watercolor wallpaper for one wall in her room.  Lilly’s favorite colors are purple and blue and this watercolor is the perfect blend of her favorite colors. The walls are currently white with a white chair rail down the middle.  I want to keep the room bright, but I do want some color.  I’m going to pull the lightest shade of pink from the wallpaper and paint the upper half of the walls in this color, which turns out is a sweet light pink – a perfect representation of Lilly’s sweet side.  

Because I feel sort of bad about kicking Lilly out of the nursery (she loves her room!), I’m trying to make her big girl room as special as possible.  So I’ve been asking her to help me in some of the decisions, like the wallpaper and paint colors.  I’ve been showing her options for bedding and artwork and I let her choose her favorites (for a two and a half year old she is very in tune to what she likes!). 

Below is a mood board I quickly created to help visual the direction I’m going with the room. Although the colors are slightly different from the Caitlin Wilson Designs, I think the direction I’m going still matches the floral, girly, and classic look of the Caitlin Wilson rooms that I love so much, but match Lilly’s beautiful personality.

Floral Wallpaper | Toddler Bed | Caitlin Wilson Quilt Floral Pillow | Lavender Bedding | White Dresser | Lamp | Floral Artwork 

Slainte,

Shannon

HOME: HOUSE PROJECTS 2021

If you’ve been following along for a while, you may have remembered our laundry list of home renovation projects for 2020.  We made a pretty big dent in that list over the summer and through the fall.  Unfortunately, we did not complete all of the projects on our list so some have transferred over to our projects for 2021, making it a very ambitious list.  

But as any homeowner knows, owning a house means there is a never ending list of projects and renovations that must be done.  Luckily the 2021 list is a bit more glamorous than last year’s list (no more chimney, dry wall, or roof repairs!).  We are aware this is quite the list, but we are going to take each project one at a time and see how it goes!

House Projects 2021

  • Paint the exterior of the house (I think I’m still leaning towards navy)
  • Install a new front door (If we go navy for the exterior, I’m thinking white, natural wood or light pink for the door)
  • Install light fixtures and ceiling fans in the upstairs bedrooms
  • Install new carpet on the stairs and second floor
  • Transition Lilly from her nursery to a big girl room (I have very mixed feelings about this!)
  • Organize and tidy up the laundry room and basement 
  • Landscape around the exterior of the house
  • Plant a flower garden (I’m MOST excited for this project!)

I’m sure this list will change and evolve as the year progresses, but it feels good to have some ideas and goals written down on paper.  I’ll share the progress of all of these projects on my Instagram, so be sure to follow along! 

Slainte,

Shannon 

HOME: SERENA AND LILY INSPIRED KITCHEN TABLE

I find coastal home decor inspiration everywhere.  Whether I’m scouring Pinterest, checking out other bloggers with a coastal style, or google searching “coastal home decor,” the one brand that never fails to inspire me is Serena and Lily.  I will sit for hours and study their catalogues (one of the few print catalogues I still get in the mail!).   Known for their coastal yet refined style, Serena and Lily is an absolute favorite among people who love that easy breezy, casual, and classic style associated with living along the coast.  Everything they design is always so welcoming, something I always strive for in my own home. 

When Rob and I realized we quickly needed to upgrade our pub style kitchen table to one that would accommodate Lilly, I grabbed all my Serena and Lily catalogues and spent hours looking for inspiration. Our kitchen in general is small. Our house was built in the late 1970’s, and although many modern improvements have been made, the rooms are small and the ceilings are low. I knew we were limited in the space we had for a kitchen table.

I found a few round, white tables from Serena and Lily (here and here) that I absolutely fell in love with. Unfortunately, my bank account cannot support the steep prices of this brand, so I took the advice of my friend Claire from Home With the Wileys: I identified the elements of the piece of furniture I loved and started shopping around on sites I knew we could afford (Wayfair, Target, Birch Lane, Pottery Barn, One Kings Lane, etc.) After several weeks, I found an almost identical style to the table I wanted at Birch Lane, at a much happier price point (sadly I can’t link it because it’s already sold out!).

The table arrived within three days, and although it took a little getting used to, I have come to love this table. It’s the perfect fit for our space. The white brightens up the space and the simple, modern style helps the space feel larger.

For the chairs, I knew I loved the Serena and Lily Tucker Dining Chairs in white. I love this classic look of a chair – reminds me of early American life (think Williamsburg). These spindle chairs are easy to shop for and I originally found some I liked at Target. But after two different shipments of damaged chairs and having to deal with the hassle of sending them back, I decided to start the process over again.

I had been eyeing some of these wood spindle chairs on Overstock from the Safavieh line and on a whim, we decided to try these in a curved back instead of the upright back. And oh my gosh. We LOVE these chairs. I think I love them more than the table. They arrived in three days and were UNDAMAGED. Plus, it took Rob about ten minutes total to assemble them. WIN.

I absolutely love the classic, coastal, and casual feel we created in our kitchen nook. The white brightens up the space so much and the clean lines help the space feel larger. I wanted this space to be a space where we hang out as a family and share special meals. Already, it’s one of our most used spaces and I’m so happy with it.

Although I love the Serena and Lily style so much, at this point in our lives we need to be more economical with our purchases. For anyone else in the same boat, you can absolutely get the Serena and Lily look for less. Just be specific in what you are looking for and you will find it. Thank you Serena and Lily for the endless inspiration. Someday I dream of owning one of your beautiful pieces!

Slainte,

Shannon

HOME: CHAISE LOUNGE REVIEW

I’ve been dreaming of a chaise lounge for our living room for about two or three years now.  After much pestering on my part, I finally convinced Rob it was time to splurge on a new piece of furniture.  And let me tell you.  My dream chaise lounge was worth the wait. 

I had saved tons of pins on Pinterest of chaise lounges that I loved, but I always came back to one in particular. Classic in style with blue and white stripes, the Wittrock Chaise Lounge was shopped on a daily basis for months and months. I was that in love with it. And having lived with it for almost a week now, I can say that I am still in love with this chair!

When I love something, I know right away. The minute we unpackaged this chair and put it in its rightful place, I knew it would be my favorite seat in the house. Somehow my cute little mini me has taken it over though and most days I hear, “Mama’s new chair now Lilly’s new chair.” I think that little affirmation says it all. We love our new chair.

Because a new piece of furniture is always an investment, I’m sharing my honest thoughts based on price, quality, and style.

Wittrock Chaise Lounge

Price

Like I said earlier, I shopped around looking at chaise lounges from various retailers. I always came back to the Wittrock Chaise Lounge from Birch Lane mostly because of style, but also because of price. Retailing between $960-$1100, this chaise lounge is pretty middle of the road when it comes to price. It seemed like the best value for the size and plushness. And it’s definitely a customer favorite which helped in my decision. Shopping hint: it does go on sale once or twice a year, so when I saw it was on sale for Labor Day, I clicked that purchase button before Rob could change his mind!

Quality

One week in and I’m thrilled with the quality. It’s sturdy and solid. The upholstery is beautiful and very high quality. Comfort wise it’s just what I hoped for. Lilly and I can comfortably be together and read books, with me sometimes starting to doze it’s that comfy. Already we have had cheese curl fingers, mud, and glitter make its way to my new favorite chair and all three times I’ve been easily able to clean it up. We will see how it holds up after a few months of heavy traffic.

Style

Style wise I love this chair. It’s the perfect coastal, Serena and Lily vibe I was hoping for. It’s classic in shape and perfect in size for our space. We were debating between the stripes and gray and I’m so glad we went with the stripes. It really brightens up our living room and the stripes will never go out of style. A+++ for the style!

I can’t speak highly enough about this chair. Luckily shipping was a breeze too (we didn’t experience any damages, which has not historically been the case when we’ve ordered furniture). I’m aware we have only had this chair for a week, but if you are in the market for a chaise lounge and have questions about this particular one, please feel free to message me and I will answer your questions as best I can.

Now excuse me while I go curl up with a cup of coffee and watch Lilly play. 

Slainte,

Shannon

HOME: HOW I KEEP OUR HOUSE ORGANIZED WITH A TODDLER

I love to clean and organize.  It’s probably one of my favorite pastimes and definitely my favorite chore.  Before Lilly, I would spend our entire Saturday morning deep cleaning our house.  Cleaning and organizing has always been my activity that de-stresses me, allows me to process whatever is going on, and it genuinely brings me joy.  

Before kids, I always used to say, “my house is going to stay clean even after I have kids.” And guys, so far that’s been manageable with one kid (I can’t say what will happen if we have more). Below are some tricks that help me keep our home organized and clutter free.

Invest in Quality Baskets

Baskets are my best friend. I can’t have enough baskets. Baskets are so good at hiding clutter. We have diaper baskets in almost every room – that way we can have quick access to diapers, wipes, lotion and whatever else a baby and toddler needs. I love to store baskets under coffee tables and on shelves because it looks pretty and it hides the chaos inside the basket. I also use baskets in our kitchen to hide our aprons and cookbooks (we just don’t have enough counter space, wall space, or cupboard space). I also use baskets in closets, under sinks, in L’s playroom – literally everywhere. I also love to leave them out in the open and fill them with magazines, books, or blankets.

Target, Home Goods, TJ Maxx, and Pottery Barn have some excellent options.  I also love the Serena and Lily ones, but those are $$$.  Here a few styles that I love: 

Pottery Barn Beachcomber Handwoven Seagrass Large Tote 

Pottery Barn Havana Handwoven Seagrass Utility Basket (I have about 8 of these all over the house!).  It also comes in a lighter shade.

Pottery Barn Metallic Woven Wool Storage – we have one similar to this in pink and it’s my favorite basket! 

Target Decorative Toy Storage Basket – we have this in pink in Lilly’s room and I love it!  

Target Large Woven Storage Basket – we have four of these in white under L’s changing table.  They are perfect for storing diapers and blankets! 

Colonial Mills Boca Raton Basket – we love this for storing L’s stuffed animals! Amazing quality. 

Tidy Up Before You Leave a Room

This is something I try to do, and it does work 90% of the time. Before we leave a room where we’ve been playing, I try and put everything away and in its rightful place. This might seem silly, but it’s so much better than spending a half hour going all around the house, picking everything up after L goes to bed. It truly makes a huge difference. Plus, we make a game out of it. Luckily Lilly is a helper so if I ask her to help me with something she is always willing and ready.

Designated Play Area

Fortunately we have a designated playroom in our house. Keeping her toys, books, and stuffed animals all in one area of the house certainly helps with keeping the rest of the house organized. And it helps that this room is separate from the rest of the house (it’s right off of our entrance from the garage and there is a bathroom connected to it. I think it’s technically a downstairs master, but we use it as the playroom). Even if you don’t have a playroom, you can set aside a space in your house for the kiddo’s toys (use those baskets!) and it will definitely help with keeping things tidy.

Always do the Dishes 

This can be an annoying task for sure, but my mom always taught me to clean all the dishes before you go to bed.  If we use dishes after dinner, I always make sure I hand wash them and put them away before we go to bed.  Most nights I do not want to do this task because I’m so tired.  But every morning I wake up and I’m so glad I did.  It truly makes a difference in the morning! 

And that’s it folks.  These are things I do every single day that keeps our home tidy and organized, something I very much value.  Hopefully one or more of these ideas will be feasible for you.  Happy organizing!

Slainte,

Shannon

HOME: FALL-ING FOR BLUE & WHITE

I love our home in the spring and summer.  The blue and white color scheme always feels so fresh and calming.  I love the peaceful vibe that the coastal details provide.  But, come fall and winter, I struggle big time with decorating.  I enjoy the cozy aesthetic that these two seasons bring, but sometimes I struggle to combine the darker and muted shades of fall and winter with my bright blue and white.  

When it comes to fall decor, I will spend hours studying Pinterest for ideas. I’ve tried so many times to decorate using the traditional orange, yellows, and reds that come with fall, but it just never looks right in our home. And the same goes for Christmas decor – the traditional red and green just don’t spark that joy for me.

So I’ve completely switched to fall decor that is blue and white (I’ll occasionally throw in a mini orange pumpkin, mostly for L).  This post is for anyone struggling to find a nice balance of mixing your vibe with seasonal decor, I’m providing some ideas that have worked for me.  Please remember, I am not an expert in interior design – I just enjoy decorating our home and making it aesthetically pleasing to my eye.  

Ideas for Blue and White Seasonal Fall Decor

Patterned Pumpkins: This year I made patterned blue and white pumpkins using a little Mod Podge and cocktail napkins and they turned out so cute! A fellow Instagrammer who I follow posted how to do this easy DIY project and you can find it here.

Colorful Pumpkins: Consider switching to ceramic pumpkins. Many retailers offer pumpkins in different colors and it’s a lot easier to find blue pumpkins than in year’s past. I’ve also seen green, pink, gold, purple – the options are endless!

Candles: Candles can easily transform your space into the cozy vibe that we associate with fall. I prefer to use tall, skinny candlesticks in varying heights. I have a few of these types of candlesticks in white, but purchasing some in gold or brass would be perfect for fall.

Colorful Plaid: As I learned in Scotland, plaid doesn’t have to be your traditional reds, dark greens, oranges, or browns.  Plaid comes in so many different color options.  Consider finding a plaid blanket with blue, gray, or even purple.  Like the candlesticks, it will add an extra element of cozy. 

Wheat Sheaves/Ornamental Grass: If you aren’t big on fall florals, wheat sheaves and ornamental grass or even a eucalyptus plant are a good alternative. Find some beautiful pottery or a vase in shades of blue, gray, and white and you are good to go.

A few other thoughts.  I actually think that seasonal decorations can be expensive and some years I don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on pumpkins and gourds.  My mom always tells me to add a few new pieces to our collection each year and eventually we will have enough seasonal decor to fill the house.   We’ve been in our house for four years now and I have enough fall decor to decorate our living room and dining room (the two rooms we use the least haha!).  

Another idea – Target and Amazon offer bulk plastic pumpkins in white for super cheap. I bought a few bags of these and I love to throw them in a decorative bowl. This year I actually found some nautical rope pumpkins so I ordered two for our family room!

And finally, I like to decorate our bookshelves with blue and whtie pumpkins. But it can feel crowded, so I lay out all my pumpkins and take everything off the shelves and completely re-style them. Anything left over goes into a plastic tote and I’ll bring it back out for spring and summer. Having the pumpkins mixed in with the books adds an unexpected touch.

Now, if someone could help me decorate our fireplace that has a baby proof foam edge protector surrounding it, please send your ideas my way!!

Happy Fall! 

Slainte,

Shannon

HOME: HOUSE PROJECTS 2020 UPDATE

A few weeks ago I shared a list of house projects for this summer.  We are in full swing in getting these projects complete and that is such a good feeling.  We still have a very long way to go, but we are slowly checking the big projects off our list.  If you are interested, keep on reading to see what projects we have completed and what projects are still works in progress.  

COMPLETED PROJECTS

It feels good to check the not-so-glamorous projects off our list.  So far this summer we’ve been able to spruce up the landscaping, repair the chimney, and replace the roof – the top priorities on our list (and the most money sucking eeeeek).  Relaxing at night is much more enjoyable though knowing that the chimney isn’t going to fall over and the ceiling isn’t going to leak anymore.  

We chose pretty dark gray shingles for the roof and already it enhances the curb appeal so much. We think it will look so good against the (eventual) dark navy siding. Which leads me into our uncompleted list of projects.

WORKS IN PROGRESS

The two big projects we still have to complete are painting the exterior of the house and fixing the interior damage caused by the chimney.  I’m a little concerned about the interior damage getting complete because of, you know, COVID-19.  I’m just not comfortable having workers in our home while the pandemic is raging around the state, country, and world.  Eventually though the ceiling will get repaired and the walls painted and our family room and guest room will feel so clean and fresh. 

I’ve now added a few more interior projects to keep me busy (like I need any more projects in my life).  If you follow me on Instagram you will have listened to me chat about the playroom gallery wall I’m working on.  My goal with the playroom gallery wall is to find original artwork created by artists I admire and/or artists that have become friends.  So far I have five original pieces and I’m deciding on one more (blog post coming soon).

I also decided to finally start the gallery wall up the stairwell.  For YEARS I’ve talked about doing a gallery wall of family pictures going up the stairs (one of my favorite shows of all time is Brothers and Sisters and Sally Field’s character had the best gallery wall up her staircase.  Ever since then, I’ve wanted to do the same thing).  And I’ve finally decided to do it.  It’s definitely a challenging project – trying to style and organize multiple frames on an incline is not easy.  It’s like putting together a puzzle and it just takes time to make all the pieces fit.  Once it’s done, I think it’s going to really brighten up and make our entryway feel so warm and welcoming. 

I’m really looking forward to completing both those gallery walls.  Artwork brings me so much joy and helps make our house feel like a home. 

Thanks for following along on our home reno projects!

Slainte,

Shannon