Girls Trip Inspiration

Over the past year especially I have been very mindful of my design surroundings. Taking pictures of things that I like and trying to figure out my husbands design style is have definitely kept me busy.

In the fall some girlfriends and I went on a quick getaway, with no kids, to Fredericksburg, Texas. We stayed at this adorable house for the weekend. It is called the Prickly Pear but it could not be any sweeter.

The house had such cute decorations I took a ton of pictures knowing that I would want to try to recreate some of this charm into our new home. I am not thinking we will attach musical instruments to the wall but I wanted to capture the texture of the stone mixed with the wood and the white painted ceiling. It is easy to want to recreate exactly what we see but being practical is also important. Hanging instruments on the wall (I am envisioning my child knocking them off accidently) is not very practical for my family so I will stick with the color and texture palette but find something more suitable for us.

These antique match holders hung on a wall in the kitchen and I have to say I am a big fan. All of the colors and vintage designs on them were just darling. The chipped paint helps the room feel more casual which definitely fits my design style.

Who would not want to relax in this bathroom complete with shiplap walls?

While we were in town we visited several local shops as well as a cute local flea market. I picked up a windmill recreation as well as a fantastic wooden arch. Yes, all of this before the house is even built but they were just too good to pass up and I know that I will find a place for them.

This arch is a larger scale item but does have any glass or metal so it will actually blend in quite nicely and not stand out and that is exactly what I wanted. I find it beautiful in its own rustic way and that is what appeals to me. I also like that it is an item that I do not have to worry about breaking while I store it or in the moving process. This is something to consider if you are purchasing items that will not be used until a later time.

The reproduction windmill I just love! It has a natural rust patina that adds such great color to any room. I see this perhaps used on a blank wall upstairs or being displayed in a guest bedroom.

I thoroughly enjoyed Fredericksburg. It was a nice trip, we had a great time, but I always do love coming home. I will keep you posted on the plans for my special finds.

We Found Land

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Our eager mowing assistant will be ready to help as soon as his legs grow a bit longer. 

On Wednesdays I am going to do my best to do an update of our progress so far with the house build.

We purchased our property in the summer of 2016. I should probably clarify that to us city dwellers just under 6 acres seems like property. I fully realize that this is not farming land, this is not what some people consider much of anything, but to us it is huge. We have never had this much outdoor space of our own to explore.

That being said we also have never had to mow more than a standard city lot. After we bought the land we spent most Saturdays throughout the summer and early fall mowing and fishing. As soon as all of the rain/hail/spring crazy weather is over we will be mowing again.

The pond was down a few feet in the summer but there were still plenty of fish. 

Just having a place to visit where we can spread out and spend time outdoors has been fantastic. It does require some planning as far as bringing snacks, drinks, fishing poles, etc. Not having a place on site to store everything, or a bathroom does have its challenges but we are learning to make the best of it.

Our son and I both suffer from grass and tree allergies and our allergist recommended spending time at our land consistently  to help us adjust to what will be our new surroundings.  I would have never thought of this and I am glad she suggested it, I feel like this will be a big help in the long run.

I just love that this what we can do on the weekends right now, in between mowing. All the kids just finished watching Jason release a fish they caught back into the pond. We are hoping to break ground soon but until then we will continue to enjoy the land.

Thanks for following along in our adventures!

Farmhouse Style

Such a sweet playhouse that was being raffled for a good cause. 

When building or remodeling or even painting it is very important for the adults living in the household to be on the same page. I would say that I do tend to lean toward the farmhouse style and initially when I asked my husband what he thought about it he had no idea what it was. That gave us a great place to start.

So what exactly is farmhouse style? Once upon a time farmhouse style was defined by large porches set upon acreage that supported animals. Thanks to a few very popular tv shows farmhouse style has evolved to so much more.

Farmhouse style is now about  3 key elements.

• mixing textures and/or materials 
• old or vintage items being repurposed
• flat finishes (ex: paint/metal/wood/tile) and these often involve gray tones 

Once I explained my thinking to Jason he was on board but he needed visuals, he had to see what I was talking about preferably in person and not just in pictures.  In order to accomplish this I stated visiting model homes looking for elements that fit my criteria. 

In my adventures I took a few pictures of some things that caught my eye. 

This ceiling is a great example of how you could incorporate a farmhouse look into a new build or a remodel. This started out as a traditional tray ceiling in a new construction home. Old fence pickets were added and their natural patina makes for some wonderful interest while also adding subtle gray tones. The texture makes for a nice contrast against the remainder of the ceiling. These were not clear coated or given any kind of extra finish just glued and nailed into the ceiling. You will also notice that there is a modern can light that has been installed in the ceiling.  

Another variation would be to install new wood planks on the ceiling or wall for that matter and paint it. White has been done a lot and still looks very timeless. However, color trends are predicted to warm up over the next few years so if you wanted to try something different I would suggest a light gray paint. 

Grays are really popular right now even in the bathroom. 

Farmhouse does not imply that your rooms can not be elegant. I would still classify this room as having farmhouse style due to the gray tones as well as the traditional hexagonal floor pattern in the shower. The modern hardware finishes add a nice pop to the neutral pallet.

Now that Jason and I are on the same page, and he knows we will not have 15 barn doors in our house, we will definitely be incorporating farmhouse aspects into our build. What are ways you have added farmhouse style into your home? Do you and your spouse always agree on design/decor ideas?