And In Closing...

We have a closing date, folks!!!!!!

Whoohoo! Ladeedah! Skittledy-Skatt!!!

This Tuesday will be the day we sign on the dotted line and turn over our house to the new owners. This could all change but give me my Pollyanna moment!

Hey, I didn't know our cousin Amber was a child actress!

If you read my last post you know how I feel about closing on this house. If you haven't read it, well do so now...I'll wait...I need to file my nails anyway...go ahead.

Okay, where were we?

Oh, I had planned on doing my next post about "Befores"...pictures of some of the painting projects I want to take on and was planning on braving the cold to tackle this weekend.

Instead I feel like I should probably start packing, otherwise known as moving stuff from drawers and closets to the middle of the room and letting it sit there until moving day.

But for fun, let me show you some of my inspirations and ideas for The Rental...

All of the interior is actually a very warm khaki so it isn't that bad but to be honest I'm kind of over the "safe" khaki walls...I'm not saying I'm gonna paint any turquoise or chartreuse, I just think its time for some "new" neutrals.

So with no walls to paint, I want to paint some furniture in a pale, dingy (?) gray-turquoise, like this:

Image from Life in the Fun Lane

So I picked a color similar to the one above and have two pieces I want to start with.

One is a farm table of sorts that has been in our family for years.

I think Mama got it in Canton and it was behind our forest green & red Christmas sofa at our old house on O'Keefe Road...Does anyone remember Mama's love of all things Christmas no matter what time of year? (Love you, Mean it, Lana!!!)

aforementioned farm table and not the forest green and red Christmas couch

The second piece is a desk that Mama and Daddy gave me as a birthday gift in the fifth grade. Do all fifth graders get antiques as birthday gifts? Mama was grooming us early.

She bought it in Canton and spent many nights sanding and staining it out in Daddy's garage/workshop.

My sister, Misty, who would've been 5 or 6 at the time came to me and said, "I know what your birthday present is...and it's not in the ga-raa-aage!"

That little punk never could keep a gift a secret...more on her later.

Its not in the garage, its in our master bedroom serving as M's nightstand

I picked the table and desk because I wanted to start with some easy pieces but things that wouldn't be the end of the world if I didn't like how they turned out. Paint is like bangs. If you don't like them, they will grow...or you can paint over it, same concept.

I want to put the farm table back behind our sofa so Gus has a place to jump off of on to the couch and use the desk in our new office as the printer stand.

There is another piece that I want to paint but there is much controversy over the subject. It was a wedding gift from my dear, dear friend Lisa and her husband, Dan. I have actually asked her permission to paint it and she gave me her blessing.

Michael, though, says he needs more convincing:

Thanks, Lisa and Dan!

Where it sits now in our behemoth of a house, it looks great because the room is huge and light and airy. But The Rental has very small rooms and not a lot of natural light.

I know, we won't be there forever but since we found this piece I've always pictured it in a lighter color to take away from some of its heaviness.

I want to paint it a soft, creamy white with a little bit of distressing to bring out some of the beautiful woodwork. Then I want to use it as an entertainment center in The Rental. It would be awesome, trust me. (I've already measured and the TV and all its components will fit...Just go with it)

And here are some inspiration pics for some of the plans I have for The Rental, just for fun:

Pottery Barn awesome wall

I can't paint but I can "wallfake-per"...I just made that up...somebody call Webster's...

From what I can tell the maps in the picture are just tacked to the wall. I already have two huge vintage maps that we've never used and some old empty frames so I've got me some Pottery Barn Wallfake-per!

I also really want a gallery wall like this one:

Gallery wall from The Nester.  Random kid not included.

I already have lots of artwork so its just a matter of arranging it and not making 6,723 nail holes in the wall in the process.

I have lots of other ideas that I'll share with you along the way. Mostly things that will cost little to no money but can really turn The Rental into The Dream Home. Who knows how many projects I'll actually get to...I do have a nine month old and a domestic empire to run.

9 month old

Portal to The Domestic Empire

I'll let you know how the closing goes and I'll be waiting Wednesday morning for all of you to show up (8 am sharp) to help move...crickets...crickets...

Love,
Brandy