If we are Instagram friends (if not, can we be?!), you may have seen that we sold our little house in downtown Raleigh! Lots of big changes in the works for my little family (you can read more about that here!) and I am super excited to share, but before I go into all of that, I wanted to post a few photos of our first abode all staged and looking pretty. :) You can see more before and after photos of the Brooklyn Street House here.
Budget Travels | A Day In Wilmington, NC
We celebrated our five year wedding anniversary back in June. Brian and I are not big gift people; we would both much rather have an experience than a possession. This being said, instead of giving presents or going out for an extravagant dinner, we opted for a mini adventure! Crazy as it may seem, in the 29 years of my Raleigh residency, I have never been to Wilmington, NC. For those not familiar with North Carolina, Wilmington is the closest coastal area from where I live - a quick two hour drive down the highway. Brian had never been either, so we started planning our day trip around this destination.
DIY Cabinet Trim Update | Brooklyn House
My most visited blog post is our DIY Kitchen Cabinet project where we added inexpensive wood trim to our 1950s flat panel cabinets for a shaker-inspired look. After 2.5 years of having someone else live in the house (with a gigantic dog, I might add), I was very curious to see how our little project held up to the wear and tear of everyday use. Once we took back possession, I was quite surprised to see that it held up pretty well, all things considered!
Guest Bath Before & After
You guys have no idea how exciting it is to have an actual before and AFTER of the Myrtle House! I mean, as much as I love renovating (and I do), three years is quite a long time and we are ready for this baby to be ova! So, even though the bathroom is missing some paint, I'm writing it off as D-O-N-E. Finished, friends. So let's talk a quick walk down memory lane, shall we?
My Parents' Kitchen | Design
My parents have a large 3000 square foot home in the burbs here in Raleigh. It was a great house for them while us five kiddos were growing up, but now as they look towards retirement and being empty-nesters, they are considering downsizing and putting their house on the market. Their home was built in the early 1990s and hasn't seen much updating since, especially in the kitchen. Budget is the name of the game here since the whole house will need to be updated.
Budget Shower | Entertaining
My dear friend Amanda tied the knot in 2013 and I wanted to throw a little party in her and her fiance's honor before the big day. In the past during my more reckless spending years, I have spent a ton of unnecessary money on entertaining. Over time, I have learned that the sweetest get-togethers don't have to cost a lot of money. Some of my favorite memories include entertaining family with cheap bottles of wine and Trader Joe's frozen pizza. In fact, the party I spent the most money on (complete with a hired bartender) was the most miserable soiree to date. I was trying to impress a bunch of people whom I shouldn't have been and it was just a mess. This wedding shower was different. It was simple; full of true friends and lots of laughter.