More Room Makeovers

This is what my dining room looked like before we left for vacation.

And, this is what it looked like when we came home...

It looks like either the place was ransacked and the thief took off with only the wallcoverings and drapes, or I need some serious help editing a tablescape.

Fortunately, what you just witnessed is not a crime scene. I actually paid someone to do that. It would have been a crime for me to continue living with the toile. It was there when we bought the house 4 years ago, and it is not my style. But for some reason, I felt guilty about changing it. I knew the wallpaper and drapes were good quality and probably rather expensive. So I've been living with something I don't really care for, for all this time. Am I the only one who does that?? 


What might seem like a simple change is now snowballing into a larger project. You see, the dining room is open to the living room, which also sports its fair share of toile.

One of the things I really wanted to change about these two rooms was the white carpet. Have I mentioned that I have 4 boys and a dog? Yeah. So white carpet is not really working for us.


We decided to put in hardwood floors, and I've spent months trying to figure out what kind would work best. I could do an entire blog series on engineered vs. solid, light vs. dark, pre-finished vs. unfinished, handscraped vs. smooth, oak vs. teak vs. pine vs. walnut, etc. etc. etc. 


In the end, we opted for this...

It is a 5" plank, pre-finished solid oak. I like that it is somewhat distressed. I'm hoping any dings or scrapes we add to it will look like they belong there.

We chose to remove the existing hardwood floors in the foyer, so that we would have the same floors throughout. We are also removing the carpet from the front and back staircases, refinishing the treads, and continuing the hardwoods through the upstairs hall.

Oh I am so not sad to see that white carpet go. I'm really not sure one could accurately refer to it as white carpet any more!


The crew was here yesterday to remove the existing hardwoods and carpet. It's a serious mess right now, but I'm so excited for what's to come.


I've got lots of decisions to make about paint color and furniture placement, rugs and runners. I hope you'll come along on the design journey with me. I'd love to get your input!


Hope you're having a great weekend :)

Coronado Island

Believe it or not, a big yellow school bus pulled up in front of my house this morning and drove away with 3 of my kiddos on board. 

We've been busy squeezing the fun out of every last minute of summer break, which is why I've been neglecting this blog for a while. We were lucky to get a respite from the oppressive heat and humidity of the Midwest and travel to beautiful Coronado Island, California last week.

We stayed with our good friends who live on the naval base there.

It was an amazing experience. Their backyard, literally, is home to dolphins in the San Diego Bay, a gorgeous view of the San Diego skyline, a nightly fireworks display (courtesy of nearby Sea World), and aircraft carrier #70, the U.S.S. Carl Vinson.

Since most of the base is industrial, it's surprising to see little pockets of suburbia mixed in. 

Our friends live in flag officer housing which is a small u-shaped street lined with these pretty homes...

This is where we stayed...

I'm so jealous that they have grapefruit and lemon trees out front. I'd show you the inside, but it's top secret and I'd have to kill you. Not really, but my friend said she'd kill me if I posted pictures, as she's still settling in. Having 6 kids running around the house all week didn't exactly allow for many blog-ready photo sessions either:)


I did, however, snap pictures of some of the unique and pretty houses on Coronado Island.

Aren't they cute?? If you haven't been to Coronado Island, I highly recommend a visit. It's such a beautiful spot. These are some views from Ferry Landing where you can dine, shop, play in the sand or the water, or hop a ferry over to San Diego.

This truly was the perfect place for a fun family vacation. We, of course, spent time at the San Diego Zoo.

And we visited Washington D.C....

NYC...

and Las Vegas...

in one afternoon at Legoland...

We enjoyed some relaxing time at the beach on the naval base, which had a view of the famous Hotel Del Coronado and an occasional F-18 flying overhead.

We flew in and out of LA, and drove the Pacific Coast Highway to San Diego and back. It is a gorgeous drive, and although it took a few hours longer than Hwy. 5, it was definitely worth it!


Do you people who live in California appreciate the incredible weather you have there?? It seriously felt like heaven the entire time we were there. I almost didn't come home.


This has been an incredibly long post, so I won't share the details of the plane ride, which involved me sitting between my nonstop talking toddler and my vomiting 9 year old. I'll also skip the play-by-play of me driving in the HOV lane on 405 in LA rush hour traffic when my 5 year old suddenly could not hold it for one more second, and my husband had to hang over the passenger seat with a Gatorade bottle to collect the contents of the little guys' bladder. I guess I should be grateful I have all boys!  Don't worry... there will be a book, or maybe a sitcom, on our family vacations coming soon!


It was an honor to have the opportunity to visit the naval base on Coronado Island. I am so grateful for the men and women who work to defend our freedom. My prayers are with the families of the Navy SEALs and servicemen, who lost their lives in Afghanistan this week. 





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