Apple Hill Orchard | Travel

My parents wanted to make a trip to see the Myrtle House since they have never been, and we decided it would be the perfect day to visit an apple orchard. After factoring in timing logistics, we decided on the Apple Hill Orchard in Morganton, North Carolina. When I read on their website that they have homemade apple donuts AND apple cider slushies, I was sold.

The orchard is nestled in a quiet spot not too far from the highway in the foothills. It has the cutest little barn, store, and sprawling apple orchards.

My dad wasn't up to walking a whole lot that day, so we opted to view the grounds via tractor-pulled wagon. I mean, how else would you tour an apple orchard? ;) We had the nicest and most knowledgeable guide whose father bought the orchard back in the 1950s. The orchard originated in the 1880s, I believe.

The apples were oh so pretty on the trees. This orchard allows visitors to pick their own apples, or you can buy freshly picked ones from their store. We chose the pre-picked variety due to time constraints, but we are planning to come back next summer to pick some for ourselves. We even learned the proper method of picking, thanks to our guide. Apparently you are supposed to grasp the apple with your palm to twist to the side and snap it off. If you use your finger tips to hold, it will bruise the apple.

The part I think we were both secretly looking forward to the most were the baked goods. I have a serious sweet tooth, and these treats did not disappoint. The cider slushie was amazing on a warm day, and the apple glazed donut was not too sweet - just the way I like them.

I had an apple for breakfast this morning and it was amazing. Long story short, if you are in the Western part of NC, I would highly recommend this cute little orchard. It is a great place for kids to romp around as well!

High/Low Lighting | Myrtle House

If you follow along on Instagram (@elizabethburnsdesign), you may realize I am a tad lighting obsessed these days. There is good reason, however, as our electrician will be starting in a few weeks. I think we are finally done purchasing, and am pleased to report we came in a hair under our anticipated budget of $350 for all of the lights in the house. I love the mix of old and new and can't wait to see it all installed! In the meantime, I wanted to share two fixtures in particular that we purchased. I had originally fallen in love with their more expensive cousins, and was thrilled that we were able to find comparable substitutes for a fraction of the cost. First up is the Clarissa Chandelier from Pottery Barn. It looks like it might have just been discontinued (still available in a smaller silver version), but here it is in a blogger's home. This beauty retailed for $499.

Jones Fix

Jones Fix

And below is the Lowe's version that we snagged on clearance for $47. That is over a 90% savings! I was going to tell you to go out an snatch one up for yourself, but it looks like it may be about out of stock (at least in the RDU area). :/ The Lowes version has less crystals and slightly less detail than the PB version, but it is still gorgeous. If I get ambitious, I may try to add a metallic rub to the metal to make it appear more vintage.

Lowes

Another chandelier we bought is for the guest room. While the two below are not exactly like it, the general design is similar. The Arteriors Chandelier from Layla Grace goes for $1236, and the Shades of Light Chandelier is $789.

Layla Grace

Shades of Light

Again, this fixture was purchased on sale for $39.75. It is very pretty in person and a great scale for a small bedroom. There is a green version of it too if you are looking for something darker.

Lowes

I was surprised by how expensive lighting can be, especially when you are given the task of buying lighting for an entire house all at once. Have you ever had to outfit a whole home with lighting? Where did you shop? Did you splurge or save?

Vanity Ideas | Myrtle House

One item in the Myrtle House that I am super excited about is the double vanity in the master bath. I firmly believe dual sinks are an important key to a happy marriage. ;) A few months ago we were on the hunt for a vanity, and ended up buying a used one off of Craigslist. I will spare you the gross details, but it was one of those unfortunate transactions where the condition was a lot worse in person than depicted online. We probably should have passed on it, but ended up taking it home with us. After a LOT of cleaning, it is prepped for a fresh look. Here she is in all of her faux oak glory.

Here is where I am stumped. I always thought I would paint it a classic black - timeless and respective of a turn-of-the-century home. However, I have been seeing so many gorgeous gray options out there. Granted, I may love these more because they are usually paired with marble (definitely not in our budget), but there is something so fresh about this color. Here are a few of my faves.

Ten June

Two Delighted

Curbly

But then there is that striking, classic black. It would definitely be grand. Would definitely make a statement... But in a small bathroom, is it too dark?

Orange County Interior Design Group

Life in Grace

Fauut Homes Corp via Houzz

Even posting these photos leaves me more confused. If you didn't notice, almost all of these have glass hardware which is something I was able to commit to (these knobs and these pulls from D Lawless Hardware). However, the color choice leaves me torn. Which would you choose, friends? If you need an idea of what it will be paired with, we have chrome fixtures, white tile, and gray grout selected.

Farmhouse Style | Myrtle House

I love designing the outside of a house almost as much as the inside. You can really pack a punch by freshening up the exterior and turn a scary, old house into a welcoming cottage. This is my hope for the Myrtle House. Right now in it's current state, it looks a little sad.

I could never really figure out what style of house this little guy was modeled after. It was built in 1901, but that is all I know. It would be so neat to find out who built it and who lived there. Eventually, I would love to create a cottage farmhouse look. I have always been partial to white and black combinations, and since the siding is already white, we will stick with it. Here are a few houses I have bookmarked to refer back to when we tackle the exterior.

Country Living

Better Homes and Garden

MyHomeIdeas via The Inspired Room

The Lettered Cottage

Source unknown

I desperately want to add some black shutters and paint the windows white. What do you think? Could the Myrtle House pass for this style?

Lighting | Myrtle House

We recently learned that the electrician will be starting sooner than we expected, which is awesome, but we were lacking the majority of the fixtures for the Myrtle House. I prefer to collect things like light fixtures over time - buying slowly as I can find good deals instead of all at once. In a slight panic, Brian and I went to the Habitat Restore in Cary to see if we could find anything that would work and not break the budget. We found some amazing lights at such great prices! Most of them need a good cleaning and a few will get a coat of paint, but here are a few photos of the fixtures we picked up.

While we were not able to find everything secondhand, we did find some great deals at Lowes and on Ebay. I have been wanting to do a beach-y look in the guest room since I already have this "ocean" colored rug and am in love with the beaded and shell chandeliers that can cost quite a pretty penny. I saw this chandelier for 75% off at Lowes, and knew it would be great in this space. Plus, Brian had a gift card so I think we ended up paying about $3 out of pocket for it. :)

We also decided to buy the guest bathrooms' lights new. I found these chrome three-light vanity fixtures on Ebay on sale for $25.49 each (free shipping, no sales tax!) and bought two. I had originally seen them at Home Depot, but they are out of stock until December. :/ Luckily, these ended up being even less expensive!

So between the old and the new, I think we have our major fixtures purchased with the exception of the kitchen light (thinking this for over the table). When all is said and done, we will probably end up spending close to $375 for all of the light fixtures in the house which I am happy with. I think it will be a fun mix of vintage and modern. :) Where do you shop for light fixtures?