Command Center / Bar

Most things in my house serve dual duty...kitchen/dining room, play room/home office/fitness room, Tanner's room/guest bedroom...you get the gist. You've got to do your best to work with what you've got. So, in keeping with our multipurpose trend around here, I've put together my bar and our command center. {Makes it easy to drown the hectic lifestyle stress with a gin and tonic, right?}

We took down our wall organization system last April when we painted the kitchen and living room and have just never put it back up since. I think I was hoping to find another wall somewhere to put it, but I never did. So, after having our bulletin boards and picture frames leaning on a wall in the never-used downstairs bathroom for months now {though I used a couple of the bulletin boards in our kids' art area}, I decided it was finally time to put it all back up. Now that school has started and the paperwork coming home is already piling {it's only been a week!} I knew it was time to get our command center back in business. That wall now also houses our buffet/bar...so I'll just have to make do and live with it. After all, it's best for the command center {and the bar} to be in our kitchen where we are every morning before the day begins {no, no, I don't start every day out with a stiff drink}.

The hanging mesh file baskets are for Tanner and Breckin. Each of them gets one for their misc. paperwork and artwork that I plan on later filing away in their schoolwork storage boxes to forever be cherished. Of course, Breckin doesn't get nearly as much paperwork as Tanner yet.

The calendar is just that - a calendar. I try to keep it up to date with activities and appointments to remember. And the other board is for pinning important things - such as invitations, reminders, etc. and the dry-erase part I like to use for my "Honey-Do" list and other notes to Hubby.

And the bar, well, it's sort of "in progress". I want to add more liquor canters, some cute straws and maybe some San Pellegrino. As you can see, our liquor canters and wine holder are currently empty...you can either see that as us being light drinkers, or us being complete lushes. Your choice.

*Update* - Had a BBQ over Labor Day weekend which forced me to stock the bar a tad...so here are some pics of the canters with actual alcohol in them.

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Monday Musings: So, About That Race...

Yeah, you know, that Cooper River Bridge one I mentioned I was going to be doing? Well, I didn't. {GASP!}

I know, I know...I was so torn about the decision not to do it. Here's what happened - remember Hubby's and my plans to repaint the living room and kitchen this weekend? Well, we started working on it Friday, just cutting in and priming everything...and we were up until midnight-ish doing so. So for one, I don't do well on little sleep, and I already get up at 3am three days a week. Hubby then asked me not to do the race so he could get started painting bright and early on Saturday while I took the boys out and entertained them so he could do so in peace. I reluctantly agreed it was the right thing to do. So no big race for me this past weekend, but I am getting back into training mode with running...and finding out which half marathon I want to do, hopefully this fall. And I wholeheartedly plan on doing the Cooper River Bridge Run next year - making no plans to paint any rooms the same weekend!

Anyway, here's what my weekend did look like:

I Instagrammed this pic on Friday night to show what the house looks like when you decide to repaint it.

While Jake worked on it Saturday, I took the boys to the gym {to make up for missing the race, I had to at least workout.} Then we met up with my friend, Suz, and her kids at a play park and spent a few hours there. We ended the playdate with a Mexican lunch at which Suz and I had delicious margaritas. The weather was gorgeous, so we ate outside.

I spent Saturday night helping Hubby to finish the paint job and Sunday I was able to put everything back in place and start hanging pictures back up. I tell y'all, I love how it turned out. I'll be sharing it with you soon. I am so happy and it is soooo much brighter - not like the dungeon it seemed like before.

Anyway, hope y'all had a great weekend! xoxo

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Cooper River Bridge 10K Run

Happy Friday, y'all! It is the last official day of Spring Break and I am ready for my boys to go back to their schools. It has been a great week full of quality time with them, but after yesterday's cabin fever due to the rain, I am just ready. It doesn't help that I still had to manage to "work" from home as well. It will be nice to get back on a schedule.

I've got a busy weekend planned...and no I'm not bragging...I'd much rather lie around in PJs or sunbathe on the back deck whilst my boys and the puppy run around the backyard. But nope, Hubby and I are FINALLY going to put the last element of the kitchen makeover in place - the paint. This ultimately includes painting the living room since they share a wall. I cannot wait to see the end result of a brighter space. I will be sure not to keep you waiting too long for a post.

Other than that fun undertaking, I'll be up bright and early tomorrow to beat the Cooper River Bridge Run participant traffic and find parking. I'm going to be honest, I have not trained for this run. I definitely run better now than I did last year though and I ran it last year without training as well and was able to keep a steady pace throughout. My goal is to do the same, maybe just a bit faster. But again, having not trained, I'm not going to be too hard on myself. I just love being a part of this big local event that draws in over 40,000 participants.

{source}

I should probably take it easy today as far as workouts go, but I was bad and skipped my gym session yesterday, so I'm going to take my Spin class this morning. I don't think 6.2 miles is going to kill me if I did a Spin class the day before.

Have a great weekend! xoxo

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Closet Turned Pretty Pantry

I can't even begin to tell you how this has been such a long time coming...we were in such dire need of a decent-size pantry. We'd been using one set of kitchen cabinets up to this point.

Our house is a little strange...no pantry, not a lot of kitchen cabinet storage...and this little in-betweener closet {Is it a coat closet? Supply closet? Pantry?} It just wasn't really in ideal condition to serve as any of those options...and I definitely tried my hand at all of them in the space. Almost five years later, this is what it was looking like:

Yep, one ugly catch-all concealed by a door. Not really serving the purpose it could be. I made the decision that I finally wanted to have Jake custom-build it out into a pantry.

First we started with removing those standard wire shelves. Jake went to his workshop and built a set of shelves and a couple of floating shelves. He then installed them and primed and painted them white. I also wanted to add some subtle color to the walls, so we went with the "Sublime" green paint we had originally used on our kitchen walls {though those are being repainted gray soon}.

As far as containers, I mostly used what I had around the house, and those blue ones are from the dollar store. And I've been slowly building my fresh food container collection. I already had those labeled with chalkboard labels in our cabinet pantry.

I created some labels for the bins.

And here she is in all her glory! It's such a nice change.

Eventually I plan on turning the back of the door into our menu planning central...post to come on that. And the wall to the right will  be used to hang our broom, mop, etc.

So what do you think? Please remember to "pin" it if you love it! xoxo

Update 3.25.13 - I've been asked as a guest on I'm Topsy Turvy's Closet Organization link-up for March...this is the post being featured.

Members of the Point of View:
Stephanie from Crafting in the Rain
Leanne from Organize and Decorate Everything
Amy from Ameroonie Designs
Jonie from Just between Friends
Ashlee from I'm Topsy Turvy
 

<a href="http://imtopsyturvy.com/category/link-parties/point-of-view/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8083/8417809377_8d43e6a6c6_o.jpg" alt="point-of-view" width="150"/></a>

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*View the parties I link up to here. Also, new parties I have found to link up to this week are:

Kitchen Progress Update

Goodness gosh, I think I have been holding you off too long on the kitchen update post since we finished painting the cabinets! They have been done since like the beginning of December! Guess that's what the holidays will do to you.

But anyway, as promised, here you go.

I must say hubby did some hard work and got these babies done very quickly...considering he had to still go to work from 8-4:30 every day. Total time started on a Sunday and the cabinets were hung back in place on the following Thursday evening. He then purchased the hardware, made some drill holes where needed and they were officially finished that Friday or Saturday. Not bad when you factor in the time for sanding and for each coat of primer and paint to dry between coats. {I actually primed them for him while he sanded the base of the cabinets. So again, I helped!}

Now let's look at the before/after shots:

 I am so happy with the change. The kitchen feels so much more up to date and a lot brighter. It's not the largest space, but I definitely enjoy my time in there much more than I used to. The colors give a crisp, clean feel - which is just what I want to feel while in the kitchen.

There are still a few things to be done yet, but here is our progress list so far {click links for corresponding posts}:

1. New Under-Mount Sink
2. Granite Countertops
3. Backsplash
4. Paint Cabinetry {White}
5, Install New Floors
6. Wall Organization System
7. Paint Walls {Light Grey}
8. New Dining Table & Chairs
9. Curtains for Back Door

So what do you think so far?

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Monday Musings

Another weekend gone by too quickly. I definitely had a great time though. I started it off right by heading out to do the Reindeer Run downtown. I love this race...everyone gets so festive, some of the costumes are just plain crazy, but I love it. It's an official kickoff to Christmastime here in Charleston.

I luckily saw one of my friends, Christine, right as the race started and we ended up running it together. Afterward, we enjoyed some free post-race beers {maybe a little more than planned} and had a great time dancing as the live band played at Southend Brewery on East Bay St.

I will admit, I was feeling the pain later as I was nursing a headache and hit the hay early. Guess I'm definitely not 21 anymore! But it was definitely fun to let loose and have some girl time. {I'm in a house full of testosterone after all.}

On Sunday, hubby and I started work on the next part of our kitchen makeover - the cabinets. We are painting them white. {See our other kitchen updates here and here.} Here's a sneak peek for you:

The white is making such a difference already. I cannot stand that builder's standard maple cabinet color. Things are really coming together in this space. Can't wait to share the finished cabinets with you - and eventually the entire makeover!

Hope y'all had a great weekend!

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Kitchen Update: Floors

Earlier this week, I let you know about the kitchen floor replacement project my husband decided to take on this past weekend. {See our first kitchen update post here.}

I am so excited to share with you the finished product {though the entire kitchen has yet to be finished} - and just in time for Tanner's birthday party tomorrow. I told Jake he absolutely had to have it done by then due to all the guests we are having over. {Having the refrigerator in the living room just isn't convenient for a party...well, not this kind of party.}

So here's another series of update pics - I'm hoping you can start to see how the black, gray and white are all starting to come together now.

Laying out the tile with thin-set

The tiles had originally been large squares, but Jake wanted to cut them to create the subway tile pattern.

Hubby even made me help scrub the grout off after he slathered it on. Not the most fun job in the world, but necessary!

For fun, here's some before pics:

 And the afters {so far}:

Even our dog blends in now!

Here is our progress list so far:

1. New Countertops & Sink
2. Install Backsplash
3. Install Ceramic Tile Floors
4. Paint Cabinets - White
5. Paint Walls - Light Gray
6. New Dining Room Table & Chairs

Stay tuned for more progress soon! xoxo

See the parties I link up to here.

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