THE SOUTHERN NEST

Chair Facelift

2010-05-09T19:23:00.001-07:00

Back when Jon and I moved into our first house, we bought a table and chair set from Value City Furniture. The set came with a 5th chair, which we put in our office. Because, really, we don't even need the 4 to begin with considering we eat in front of the TV (don't pretend you don't do it, too!). Here's what the chair looked like before:

The quality of the chair is pretty good, but the fabric is a dark green, fake velvety number. Then, I found this beauty at Joann's. It was on sale for $6.99 a yard. I only needed a little more than 1/2 a yard for this project.

My friend lent me a staple gun (remind me to ask for one for my birthday...I love it). I was able to recover the seat pretty easily because I just covered right over the existing fabric.

I also spray painted the wood in a glossy warm yellow, which matches perfectly with the fabric.

I love the finished project, which is now tempting me to redo the other four chairs in our dining set. Jon is concerned that the wheels are a-turning....

Sincerely,

Megan

Spring Cleaning: Part 3 of Many

2010-04-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

I have a serious issue with jewelry storage. I tend to buy things that I think I need, but it turns out I already have something similar. For instance, for 3 months, I kept buying pieces of gold jewelry because I thought that I didn't have enough. Maybe the reason was that all my jewelry was in 60 different places (earrings on the coffee table, necklaces on the dresser, rings on the nightstand, etc). I have tried and tried to get my jewelry issue under control buying things like this:

But, nothing fits in those neat little pouches. And, why try to fit it in there when I can just throw it on the dresser? Did I mention I am a complete slack ass when it comes to putting stuff away?

So, I saw this idea on one of the many blogs I follow (Can't remember which one!). I bought a piece of $5 peg board from Home Depot, and I bought a bunch of cheap hardware sets from Target.

I spray painted the board a turquoise for funsies.

Then, I took an inventory of my jewelry to figure out how to lay out the hardware (Seriously, how many long necklaces can one have?!?). The only issue was I had to buy shorter screws because the ones that came with the hardware were too long.

For all the items that don't have a spot (i.e. stud earrings, rings), I bought a plastic ice tray that I keep in my closet to chunk them into.

For now, my jewelry issue has been solved in a very stylish addition to my closet.

Sincerely,

Megan

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things: JC Penney Edition

2010-04-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the third edition of “These are a few of my favorite things” (Click here for part one and two). In this series, I am featuring my 5 favorite things from a few of our favorite places to score stylish home décor on the cheap.

JC Penney online has a great clearance section. Anytime I am looking for something in particular, I always check online to see what they have available. We have gotten quite a few pieces of furniture from them including our entertainment center and our entryway table.

1. I love this red kitchen island. It would add a great pop of color without having to commit to wall or cabinet color. And, with a couple added baskets at the bottom, it would be a great place for extra storage, too.
2. This hurricane would make a great addition to a dining room or entryway table.
3. This bed reminds me of a Pottery Barn piece. It would be great for a bedroom with storage issues.
4. I love the neutral pattern on these placemats. They would be great to use year-round.
5. I also like this small desk, which would be great in a place where you have to have your desk in your bedroom or a corner of your living room (i.e. if anyone else is obsessed with Guiliana and Bill, Guiliana got one like this for their Chicago digs). Also, you could use it as a vanity, if needed.

Sincerely,
Megan

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things: Target Edition

2010-04-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the second edition of “These are a few of my favorite things.” In this series, I am featuring my 5 favorite things from a few of our favorite places to score stylish home décor on the cheap.

Target is a favorite at The Southern Nest. Target is one of those stores where you walk in to get paper towels and walk out with a DVD, a picture frame, and a patio set. We literally live 2 miles from Target, which means we have to limit ourselves to only a couple trips a month.

1. Turquoise is such a hot color right now (in fact, it was rated Pantone’s color of the year). So, you have probably seen turquoise everywhere. I love this vase because it adds just the right pop of color. You could use this vase as a centerpiece or display it on some bookshelves.

2. If you have read my blog much, you know that I cannot pass up cheap baskets. I use them for everything from storing magazines to toilet paper.

3. This votive holder would look great on a bookshelf. Or, you could use it when entertaining on a buffet line for toothpicks, sauces, etc.

4. You could always put a simple candle in this hurricane, but you could also use it to display different seasonal items like our spring-themed hurricane.

5. As I stated before, I love the Dwell Studio line. The prints and colors are so fresh. This pillow is one of my favorites from the collection.

Sincerely,

Megan

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things: Overstock Edition

2010-04-07T07:19:00.000-07:00

Like most of you, money is tight around The Southern Nest. We might look like we do a lot of renovations and decoration, but most of the posts you see have happened over a period of a couple of years. In fact, we really didn’t start decorating our house until a year ago. We did major structural work over the course of three months when we first bought the house, then we sat out for a year from doing anything to the house.Something about major home renovations really deflates your motivation (and budget!).

Once we got back into the game, we realized that we couldn’t (and didn’t) want to buy crazy expensive accessories.Some of our favorite places to score deals are Overstock, Target, JC Penney Clearance, Etsy, TJ Maxx and Pottery Barn Outlet. In honor of our cheapness (aka inability to spend an entire paycheck on home décor), I am featuring my 5 favorite things from a few places.

Overstock is a great place to look because the inventory is constantly changing. Oh, and shipping is CRAZY cheap (like $2.95 for your ENTIRE order).You might remember that we got our bed and memory foam mattress from Overstock when we first moved.

1. This 5x8 rug will run you a little over $200. Even though you could probably find another rug cheaper, I like that the pattern would make such an impact in a small room.

2. This shower curtain looks white in the picture, but it is actually a subtle zebra pattern in a neutral, light gray. Jon has a serious hatred of animal print, so you won’t find this in our house. But, if I were a stylish bachelorette, I would totally be rocking this shower curtain in my bathroom.

3. I love these drinking glasses with their emerald green rims. To get the most bang for your buck, I would probably use them as little vases throughout the house to showcase some small arrangements. Or, you could use them as votive holders for year-round utility.

4. The print on this comforter set is graphic without being completely overwhelming. I like the blue the best, but they come in a bunch of different colors, including brown, green, black and spice.

5. And, finally, I love this contemporary glass computer desk. I don’t think it would fit in our home décor style, but I do love the look of it. It would work great in a small space where a wood piece might overpower the room.

Sincerely,

Megan

Spring Cleaning: Part 2 of Many

2010-03-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter, Y'all! Spring has started to sprout in Memphis. The weather is starting to get nicer, so I have been adding a few springy touches to our décor to freshen up things around The Southern Nest.

While on my blogging hiatus, I hosted a Southern Living party and received lots of goodies, including these hurricane displays. I bought the eggs and moss from Hobby Lobby and went to town filling my new display pieces.

Then, I switched out the wintery flower for these spring pieces in our entryway.

And, of course, I updated our chalkboard wall with some spring touches!

Sincerely,

Megan

Spring Cleaning: Part 1 of Many

2010-03-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

We have a couple of closets in our living room next to our kitchen. We use one of them as a utility closet for cleaning supplies, tools, light bulbs, etc. The closet had such shallow shelves that everything always ended up on the floor.

So, we unloaded everything from the closet into our living room.

Here is a glimpse of the closet beforehand.

Jon and I removed the shelves and pulled up the tile that was coming up already.

I mixed a bunch of extra paint we had leftover from other projects, and we painted it a beige. Then, Jon picked up some peel and stick tile from Home Depot that I laid down.

We bought the shelf from Target and put it together. It is the perfect size for all of our extra stuff and leaves room for our vacuum cleaner and brooms.

And, you know I love a good after shot...

We now have PLENTY of space for all of our crap! And, isn't that what spring cleaning is all about?

Sincerely,

Megan

New Plates

2010-03-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

During part of the blog hiatus, Jon and I went to Las Vegas in February, and we stumbled into an Anthropologie store. We don't have one in Memphis, so I have just settled on the catalog. Finally, Memphis is getting our own store soon!

After drooling over lots and lots of goodies, I came across this plates, and I knew they would spice up our dining room plate wall.

See wall before:

Here's the new plate:

And, the finished product...

I love the funky print on the plates, and I love the colors. I will probably do some centerpieces to match some of the new colors.

Sincerely,

Megan

I'm Back!

2010-03-07T07:16:00.000-08:00

Please forgive my lame excuse for a blog! After the garage sale, things just fast forwarded in warp speed. Suddenly, it's March. I can't believe how time flies.

In the meantime, work has been busy, the holidays were crazy, and we haven't had much time to primp things around the house.

However, I have done some very small projects (closet reorganization, jewelry holder, etc). I am trying to commit to at least one post a week, so please check back to see some of the new projects around The Southern Nest.

Sincerely,

Megan

PS: Thank you to those that inquired about the blog during its hiatus. I seriously thought that only family read my posts. It is great to hear about others that like it, too!

Hope You're Not Creepy!

2009-10-22T16:59:00.000-07:00

We are having a garage sale on Saturday at our house from 7am-2pm. Things for sale include a desk, bookcase, printer, DVD player, small kitchen appliances, clothing, luggage, etc.

If you aren't creepy or a murderer (and are in the Memphis area), send me an email at meganwmurdock@gmail.com, and I will give you are home address.

Sincerely,

Megan

I'm In Love

2009-10-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

My parents are probably laughing as they read this post about my cleaning habits, considering I wasn't always the cleanest growing up.

However, I was reading one of my favorite blogs, Young House Love, and I saw this post about their cleaning habits. One of their favorite products to use for all purpose cleaning is Mrs. Meyer's All Purpose Cleaner.

I am always on the lookout for multi-purpose cleaning products that will cut our cleaning routine and save us some money from having to buy so many products. So, I checked out my local Target, who carries a ton of the Mrs. Meyer's products in the Lemon Verbena and Lavender scents. I grabbed the Lemon because I love its fresh smell. I also picked up an empty spray bottle.

Basically, you use just a small amount and dilute it with water. I have been using it for the past few weeks, and it seems like I have barely made a dent in the bottle. I use it for pretty much everything, including our concrete floors. And, its also earth-friendly and biodegradable. Who could ask for more??

Sincerely,

Megan

Freshen Up Your Door

2009-10-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

We have a plain black front door that I was itching to paint a bright color. Jon nixed that idea, so I decided to do something a little different. See the boring black door...

I was searching through one of my favorite sites the other week, Etsy. It is a place for individuals to sell some of their homemade crafts online. I love searching through the wall vinyl section. I used a wall vinyl in our dining room, and I love how it looks.

So, I found this great idea for your front door. I ordered my address from this vendor, and I couldn't wait to get started. Luckily, the vinyl came with step by step directions that were super helpful.

I taped up the vinyl with painters tape, so that I could make sure that it was the right placement before I peeled off the back.

I didn't realize how similar these two pictures look, but the picture below shows the vinyl after I removed the backing. Its pretty much like using contact paper.

I used a credit card to push down all the edges to make sure that the numbers were sticking to the door. Then, I slowly started to peel the paper off. I kept pushing it down with a credit card as I peeled.

And, here is the final product. I LOVE IT!!

I would highly suggest trying out these wall vinyls for various projects around the house. I feel like it gives it some personality, and it only costs about $10-$20 depending on the design you want. It also only took about 10 minutes to apply.

Shelf Liners: Step by Step

2009-10-12T16:24:00.000-07:00

Wow...I bet you can't wait to dig into this post after reading that juicy title! Anyways, I just posted yesterday about our attempt to organize our hall closets. Part of this task was installing shelf liners. Here is my exciting play-by-play of how I did it.

OK...If you are still with me, I started by cleaning out the closet, and believe me those baseboards were disgusting (just take my word for it :).

I measured out the shelves, then cut patterned contact paper. You might recognize it from this project I did this summer.

I applied the paper from the back to the front, which made it easier to remove the back. I smoothed down all the edges to make sure that it was stuck on there.

After that, I loaded the closet with sheets and bedding from all the bedrooms. Also, I put in a Febreeze scented thing so that the closet stops smelling musty.

And, here is the final product (even though you already saw it)!

Sincerely,

Megan

Closet Cases

2009-10-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about the house we live in now is the amount of closet space we have. I know, you must be thinking...I thought you lived in an old home, which we do. Small homes are usually notorious for having small closets; however, we lucked out in our place. We have big closets in every bedroom room in addition to 2 hall closets, plus 2 big closets in our living room. In our last house, built in 2000, we didn't have hall closets, so we had to store random items in the bedroom closets.

One of my more recent, yet unglamorous projects, has been to utilize the hall closets. Here are the before pictures...

And, after some thorough cleaning and the addition of some shelf liners, here they are now.

We are using one as our linen closet for our master bedroom, guest bedroom and our pull-out couch in our office. The second closet is more of a hodge-podge, but I was inspired by this site to create a decor/wrapping paper/craft closet. We usually have extra decor items scatter through the house, but once they were put all in one place, it made me realize that I REALLY do not need to ever buy more picture frames! Most of the items from our guest bedroom redo were from our collection in this closet.

Although this post isn't my most exciting, I realize that by having some of these areas organized that it leaves more time for me to do fun projects!

Sincerely,

Megan

Turning the Old into New

2009-09-30T09:36:00.000-07:00

When we were changing our walk-through room into an office, I reused the bookcase that was first in our bedroom, then in our guest room, then just hanging out. The bookcase is a standard $20 assembly-required piece from Target. I never could find a place that worked for it though.

After we added the desk to the room, I decided to make it a full-fledge office complete with storage. Finally, that bookcase had a purpose. I painted the inside white like the legs on the table across from it (mainly because I had leftover paint). Then, I took accessories and books we already had to put on the shelves.

You might be thinking...Look at all those antique books, but you would be SO wrong. We mainly have golf books and the entire Harry Potter series (+ 2 copies of the final book because Jon and I didn't want to take turns reading it)...That's just how we roll.

Sincerely,

Megan & Jon

Door into a Desk

2009-09-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

I have always loved doors that are turned into desk; however, I couldn't find a door that was cheap (even on Craigslist). So, I cheated and bought a $19 door from Home Depot.

Then, I screwed in the plates to the corners and middle of the desk.

After installing the plates, I screwed in the legs. I then realized that the table was a bit wobbly, so I got a couple of pieces of wood and brackets and rigged it up from there by screwing in the wood pieces into the legs. Jon and I put brackets on the inside to make it more sturdy.

I painted the legs solid white. I painted the door blue first, then used stain to age some of the corners. After that dried, I dry brushed some white paint over it.

Here is the finished product with an extra chair from our living room dinette set.

Now, I have a door desk that I always wanted. I just need to save up for the glass to put on top of it.

Sincerely,

Megan

Wasted Space No More

2009-09-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

Last post, I lamented about our waste of space in the middle of our house. I really do hate wasting space, so we decided to turn it into an office, which goes perfect with the chalkboard wall that I am obviously obsessed with.

We made the desk which I will detail tomorrow. Then, we just staged the rest of the space with things we already had. Here is the finished product...

I am looking for a bigger basket to put under the desk to hide the cords, and I am thinking about recovering the chair with another fabric. However, for now, the room is actually usable and isn't being used as just a pass through anymore. I can finally rest easy :)

Sincerely,

Megan

Wasted Spaces

2009-09-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Personally, I HATE feeling like we are wasting space in our house. I like to make sure that every space has a purpose. So, you can imagine that I was going crazy about the room below.

What?!? You don't have a dusty fan lying in the middle of the floor in your house? Or, a baby gate to block off your bad dog from the rest of the house??? So weird...

This room serves as the pass-through from the dining room to the living room/kitchen. Below is a rough sketch of the layout and how we walk through this wasted space everyday.

This past weekend, I decided to transform it into a room that has a purpose. However, you don't get to see that until I have finished, which should be this weekend...stay tuned! (Yes, it does have something to do with my previous post about paint.)

Sincerely,

Megan & Jon

Paint Preference

2009-09-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

Usually, Jon and I prefer the Valspar from Lowe's for all of our paint projects. However, out of sheer laziness this weekend I found myself at Home Depot because it is about 7 min closer to our house than Lowe's. I decided to try out the new Behr brand that mixes the paint with primer that is being advertised on TV...yeah, I'm a sucker for product placement.

Anyways, I tried it out for a furniture project I am working on, and I really did like it a lot. Here is a glimpse of the cans. (Not a very exciting picture, but I haven't quite finished the project that I was using the paint for. Otherwise, I would have shown you that!)

It seems much thicker and better quality than the regular Behr, or maybe I really am a sucker and believe everything I see on TV... It's your call. Do you have a favorite brand or color of paint that you rely on, or are you a brand hopper like we are?

Sincerely,

Megan & Jon

Break from Decor

2009-09-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

Sometimes at The Southern Nest, we take a break from decorating to cook some awesome meals. Lately, it has been pretty rainy and gloomy in Memphis, so we were craving something comforting. To remedy that, we made homemade macaroni and cheese, Food Network style. Check it out!

We highly recommend using this recipe from Ellie Kreiger. It substitutes pureed butternut squash for some of the cheese, and it is delicious.

Here's a tip: One of our favorite things about shopping at Whole Foods or Fresh Market is that they have spices that you can dole out yourself. That way, we don't have to buy an entire spice tub to use once.

Sincerely,

Megan & Jon

Feelin' Crafty

2009-09-15T19:21:00.001-07:00

I was feeling a little bit crafty tonight as Jon and I sat watching The Biggest Loser. So, I dug into my craft closet and painted a small canvas for one of my co-worker's sons. I was thinking that she could put it in his room; however, she might just put it in the closet (or for that matter, re-gift it to a lucky friend with a son whose name starts with R). Don't really actually know, but I was happy to wind down from a long day with something mindless.

In progress on our coffee table...

Final product...

Nothing earth shattering, but I just thought I would share!

Sincerely,

Megan

Projects on Tap

2009-09-15T13:04:00.000-07:00

We are always running and gunning here at Casa Murdock, and it is easy to get overwhelmed with the amount of work we have ahead of us. (Personally, I also think I have undiagnosed ADD, which makes me flit from one project to another without actually finishing the first one.)

So, to keep us focused, we have made a list of our projects that we are hoping to accomplish this fall before Thanksgiving. It seems like a lot, but most have already been started!

Check out the list on your right in the margin. We will cross things off as we finish them. And, of course, you will get to see the posting of them once we get pictures.

Sincerely,
Megan & Jon

Boston Photos

2009-09-14T15:40:00.000-07:00

Although we like to keep this blog as decorating focused, we just wanted to share some of our favorite photos of our Boston trip. These will definitely be blown up and framed in our house somewhere just like our other trip photos (click here to see our post about travel pictures as art). We are thinking about putting some of them in our bedroom or newly spruced up guest bedroom.

As you can see, we took in the historic stuff all while drinking our favorite Sam Adams brew, Octoberfest. All in all, we had an awesome time. If you haven't visited Boston, we definitely recommend it!

Sincerely,

Megan & Jon

Boston

2009-09-13T16:12:00.001-07:00

We just returned from a long weekend in Boston, so we obviously haven't been keeping up with the blog for the past week. We will get back to our routine sometime this week!

Sincerely,

Jon and Megan

Guest Room Spruce-Up

2009-09-07T07:52:00.000-07:00

Over the course of two days, I spruced up our guest bedroom and bathroom. We mainly used this room as storage, and we NEVER used the guest bath that is attached to it. See below for evidence...

Yeah, it was starting to smell pretty musty, and we would like to have guests over at some point, so I challenged myself to give the rooms a facelift for under $100.

Here are the after shots:

So, did you think I could do it under budget? In fact, I only spent $55 total! The key was to use pieces we already had and put in a bit of elbow grease.

Guest Bathroom Tally = $41

Light Switch Wall Plate: $4 (from Target)

Hand Towels: $3 (from Target)

Floor Mat: $8 (from Target)

Shower Rings: $7 (from Target)

White Spray Paint: $3 (Used on Mirrors in Bed and Bath)

Numbers: $3 (from Home Depot)

Cabinet Hardware: $7 (Home Depot)

Basket: $6 (from Target: See last week's post)

Wall Paint: Free (Leftover from Hallway Bath)

Vanity Paint: Free (Mixed up from our Living Room and Hallway Paint)

Shower Curtain: Free (From Hallway Bath)

Mirror: Free (Came with House)

Towel Hooks: Free (Leftover from Laundry Room)

Guest Bedroom Tally = $14

Candle Holders: $5 (from Target)

Votive Candles: $4 (from Target)

Green Pillow Shams: $5 (from Pottery Barn: See last week's post)

Dresser: Free (Moved from Hallway)

Mirror: Free (Hand-me-down from parents; Painted with spray paint)

Chalkboard: Free (From Master Bedroom)

Silver Platter: Free (Wedding Present)

Book: Free

Sheets, White Pillows, Comforter: Free

Rug: Free (Moved from Office)

Iron Wall Art: Free

Now that we have acceptable guest quarters, we expect all of our out-of-town friends and family to come to Memphis to stay with us. Come on down!

Sincerely,

Megan

Labor Day Plans

2009-09-05T09:08:00.001-07:00

You didn't think that I was going to let a whole 3 days pass without any home improvement projects, did you?!? Of course not....

I am sprucing up our musty, underused guest room and bathroom over the long weekend. The catch is that I am doing it all under $100. I will report back on Monday with the final tally and pictures.

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Megan

Plate Wall

2009-09-02T15:34:00.000-07:00

You have seen our dining room both here and here. But, I have strategically managed to not photograph this wall below. I was unsure of what to do with it. I didn't want to hang more pictures, and I wasn't feeling using mirrors.

It was too skinny to put a piece of furniture, and I didn't want to crowd the table, which already has a buffet on the other side.

I have been searching around, and I decided to do a plate wall. I love the way they look. I started collecting plates as I saw them on sale. Then, I hammered my first hanger in this weekend.

First plate is up!

Here is the finished product. I love how it looks, and I plan on mixing and matching patterns as I go. I mainly kept with white this time because I wasn't sure how it was going to look.

Here is the post on a blog that pushed me to go ahead with my plate wall. Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Megan

Do You Remember These?

2009-08-31T19:03:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the goodies we brought back from Mexico in June? Click here to refresh your memory. We immediately put the pitcher to work to hold our dish tools, but I couldn't figure out what to do with the homemade paper. I figured I would put them in some sort of shadow box, but I didn't really want to buy something new.

Then, like magic (or finally cleaning out our office), these frames appeared. Divine intervention -- Perfect size, perfect shape! I ran to Michael's to buy some scrapbook paper because I couldn't use the mats in there already. I mounted them in the frame.

After a quick vote from Jon, "we" decided that they would look the best in the kitchen.

What do you think? It's like they were made for that wall.

Sincerely,

Megan

That Didn't Take Long

2009-08-30T07:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I think I found the perfect place for the huge vase I found the other day. Here's the vase below.

Here is our fireplace when we bought our house.

We immediately painted the fireplace and removed the mantle. We added the mirror, baskets and frames that we already had.

So, here is the fireplace today with the new vase I got this week.

We put our wine cork collection in the vase. And, we moved the basket to the other side.

Since the basket is on this side now, we can put the computer in the basket while it is charging.

Anyways, that is the history of our fireplace makeover. I love how our new vase looks!

Sincerely,

Megan

Great Finds

2009-08-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

Usually, when I shop, I don't buy anything unless I have a specific place for it. However, this week has been a complete exception. I found myself at the cash register on three separate occasions wondering where I am going to put this stuff. Take a look at all my great finds (and while you're at it, tell me where you think I should put this stuff :)

I couldn't pass this up when I saw it at TJ Maxx. It looks like a Pottery Barn buy, and it was only $19.99.

Saw this at Target for $6. We probably have a million baskets, but I just cannot resist because I use them for everything.

Then, here is the best buy for the week. I found this pillow sham at Pottery Barn Outlet. I was halfsies about buying a pair, until I saw the price. $1.97!! Both cost $4.30 with tax.

Anyways, I hadn't posted in a bit because the weather has been so gorgeous here, and we have been trying to enjoy it as much as possible. Apparently though, I still have PLENTY of time to hit up my favorite bargin decor shops!

Sincerely,

Megan

Apartment Living

2009-08-18T18:30:00.001-07:00

When my sister asked me to help her out with her apartment, I just couldn't contain my excitement. My little sister is moving onto campus for the last time as a senior, and I wanted to give her something that she would love to live in that was youthful (and durable). Also, budget was a big concern, so for under $200, we did everything that you see below.

Before:

After:

I hope she loves it!

Sincerely,

Megan

Table Tray Transformation

2009-08-16T08:17:00.000-07:00

We have a tray that we use on our coffee table to contain all of our clutter (remotes, magazines, etc). The bottom had been stained a bit, and it was in need of a makeover.

With some of the leftover chalkboard paint I had out, I painted the bottom of the tray to cover up the stains.

Then, I took printed contact paper (which I am using for another project), and I cut the paper to size.

I applied the strips to the perimeter. All in all, the project took about 20 minutes and $0 since I already had the materials around the house.

Oh, and if you have been tossing and turning at night thinking about our chalkboard wall, you will see that not only Jon and I have had a good time with it, but also our guests. Thanks to the Sunday Night Dinner group for breaking it in for us.

Sincerely,

Jon & Megan

Has She Finally Lost It?

2009-08-05T18:30:00.000-07:00

Here is our latest project.

Yeah, I know you are wondering. Has Megan really reached her limit? Why in the h-e-double hockey sticks would she paint an entire wall black???

Well, it isn't just black paint. Its chalkboard paint. I got the idea from here.

We had an empty room that is used as a pass-through from our dining room to the kitchen/living room, and I have been dying to do something to that bare wall. After much convincing (well, begging), Jon finally let me paint the wall.

Here is is before.

I primed it, then painted two coats.

Then, I had my lovely husband install a hook to hold the cute bucket I found at Target for $1. The bucket holds the chalk in one place.

We had to let it sit for three days before we could write on it. So, tonight was the big test.

All in all, the project cost us about $25 for the paint, materials, hook, bucket, and chalk. It looks awesome!! Thanks, Jon!

Sincerely,

Megan

Mixing Patterns

2009-08-02T19:29:00.000-07:00

I have always been hesitant at mixing patterns on fabrics. These pillows were my first foray into mixing prints, and I love the result. It adds some extra color and interest to that side of the room. And, Jon, who usually only likes stripes, hasn’t told me he hates it. So, they are there to stay!

Pillows from Pottery Barn Outlet and TJ Maxx.

Sincerely,

Megan

New Rug

2009-08-01T14:53:00.000-07:00

With some of my birthday loot, I finally bought a rug for our dining room. We found the perfect one at Pottery Barn outlet for 40% off. Besides looking great, it also hide dirt and dog hair, which is super important at our house.

Here is the before shot.

Here is our dog, Putter, checking out his new toy.

And, here is the finished product.

The dining room is almost complete, but I have one more project in store. You will see the big reveal in a couple of weeks.

Sincerely,

Megan

Happy Labor Day!

2009-07-31T15:25:00.000-07:00

I realize that I am a month early for the actual labor day. But, I am wishing "Happy Labor Day" to my momma for delivering me 26 years ago. It has been a great ride so far, and I cannot wait to see what else is in store for me in the coming years.

Since it is my birthday, I have been blessed with great presents that I will reveal later this weekend. Hint Hint...You can walk on one of them!

Sincerely,

Megan

Heart of the Home - Part 2

2009-07-26T10:28:00.001-07:00

Now that you have seen our before pictures of our kitchen, here are some after pictures.

As you see in the before pictures, the far wall had nothing on it. Because we took out all of the upper cabinets on the left to open up the space to the living room, we built in a wall of cabinets. The left side is our pantry, and the rest of the cabinets are storage for platters, small appliances, etc.

I love our stove/oven combo. I have never cooked with gas before, and I am now totally spoiled. It is also a double oven as well. We didn't want to take up more wall space with a double oven, so we found this awesome side-by-side oven.

The below picture shows where we opened up our kitchen into our living room. You also see Jon's favorite part of the kitchen, the wine cooler. One of my favorite parts is the deep sink.

Here is a picture looking from the other side.

Here is a close-up of the nook in the middle of the wall of cabinets.

Close up of the cabinets and hardware. I love the combination with the granite, hardware and cabinets. I picked the cabinets, and Jon found the perfect hardware online.

This room is truly the heart of our home. We are the most proud of how our vision transformed the space into something that we always wanted.

Sincerely,

Megan and Jon

Heart of the Home - Part 1

2009-07-25T08:17:00.000-07:00

Since y'all have been so patient with our lack of postings that we decided to reveal the biggest renovation that we did. It is so big that we have to break it up into two posts.

When we purchased our house, we knew we wanted an open floor plan, particularly for the kitchen and living room. The problem is that all the houses in the area we wanted were built back in the day when separate rooms were in vogue.

See a couple before pictures and one picture in progress.

Check back tomorrow for the finished pictures.

Sincerely,

Megan and Jon

We're Back!

2009-07-12T08:51:00.000-07:00

You probably think that all we do is vacation, and you would be right for the past couple of months. We just got back last week from our family vacation in Grayton Beach, Florida. It has been a 20 year family tradition, and I just love catching up with my family that doesn't live in town. We also go to catch up with our Memphis buddies, who relocated to Sandestin two years ago.

We were blessed with great weather and memories. Now, we are back...So stay tuned for more regular posts!

Sincerely,

Megan & Jon

Bed Floor Plan

2009-07-11T06:38:00.000-07:00

So, we just posted the pictures of our bedroom. I finally whipped up some rudimentary floor plans for you to see. These should help you visualize our bedroom transformation.

Like we said earlier, it was a hard decision to remove a bedroom, but it makes day-to-day living so much more comfortable.

Sincerely,

Megan and Jon

Bedroom Makeover

2009-07-03T09:17:00.000-07:00

It's time to show off one of our biggest renovations. When we bought our house, it was a 4 bed/3 bath home. The master bedroom and the adjacent bedroom were SO tiny. Our existing bed would have fit, but no other furniture would make it in there. We struggled with the decision to remove a bedroom to make a master suite, which would make our home 3 bed/3 bath. Now, we are so happy that we did. I am working on a floor plan to show off later, but for now you will just have to imagine that.

Here is what our bedroom looked like after the renovation, but before we started to decorate it.

Over Memorial Day weekend, I got a bug to make our bedroom look more cohesive and not so thrown together. After researching a ton of homes on Rate My Space with HGTV, I decided to install chair railing and molding. Here is a pic in the middle of my progress.

This is what the room looks like now. I am still working on adding some accessories, but it will stay like this for awhile!

We love how it turned out. Because we had so much space once we joined the bedrooms and took out the adjoining hallway, we were able to put in a 6x16 ft closet behind the wall with the bed and mirror. You will have to check back later to see pictures of our closet (once we clean it!) and what the floor plan looked like before and after.

Source list: Bed-Overstock; Night Stands-Pier 1; Couch & TV Stand-Samuel's; Bench-Hand Me Down from Mother-in-Law; Dresser - Craigslist; Comforter & Pillows-TJ Maxx; Candlesticks & Wall Mirror-Hobby Lobby; Lamps & Quilt-Target; Curtains-JC Penny

Sincerely,

Megan & Jon

Placemat Pillows

2009-06-27T15:49:00.001-07:00

What do all three of these pillows have in common?

They are placemats! That's right. I was reading one my my favorite blogs, Bower Power, and I got this idea (Click here for the post).

I got some great placemats on sale for about $1-$3. Then, I cut a slit in the back and stuffed stuffing. Then with my sub-par sewing skills, I stitched up the back.

Now, I hardly can bring myself to buy regular pillows!

Sincerely,

Megan

Mexican Trinkets

2009-06-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

While in Mexico, we picked up some cute trinkets to remember our stay. The girls and I ventured out one afternoon to 5th street in Playa del Carmen. It has some great shops and restaurants. I wish we had more time to browse, but the beach was calling!

First, I picked up this pitcher, which I was originally going to use as a flower vase. But, I ended up liking it so much that I wanted to have it out all the time. Now, I am using it next to our sink for our sink utensils.

I also picked up these handmade paper things. I am planning on matting and framing them. I am not sure where I am going to put them, but I will definitely post pictures once I figure that out.

I also picked up an ornament for our Christmas tree. You will get to see that once Christmas arrives!

Overall, we scored some pretty great stuff on our vacation. I will make sure to keep you posted about what we do with everything. What travel trinkets do you use as decor in your house?

Sincerely,

Megan

Travel Pictures as Art

2009-06-22T17:34:00.000-07:00

As you have probably noticed, most of our “art” are photographs. In our eight years together, we have been blessed to have traveled to many great locations, and Jon has taken amazing photos. We have surrounded ourselves with these travel memories, and I feel that it gives our home more of a personal touch.

Here are some of the photos posted around our house…

I guess the point of my tangent is that we like to have a connection to what we put on our walls. I seriously wonder if other people think of this stuff as much as I do!

Sincerely,

Megan

We're Back!

2009-06-22T17:26:00.000-07:00

We made it back from Playa del Carmen safe and sound yesterday. We had a wonderful time with our friends, and we highly recommend staying at The Royal if you are ever down in Mexico.

Picture from The Royal Playa del Carmen

We can't wait to get back to posting...We missed you guys!

Sincerely,

Megan & Jon

Hallway Bathroom

2009-06-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

Our house was built in the days where pastel colored tile was in its hey-day. When we saw our hallway bathroom, we knew something had to change. In addition to the lovely tile, we also had an existing window that was in the middle of our house, which was leftover from the previous owner’s addition. No kidding, there was just a wall right behind the window.

In the middle of our big renovation, this bathroom was on the list to tackle, but as our budget and timeline kept shrinking, we realized that we wouldn’t be able to do a full renovation.

So, we had someone glazed over the tile and tub at that time. Recently, we painted the walls off-white, replaced the light fixture, and painted the existing vanity black.

We had many ideas about what to do with that window, but this was an easy and cheap fix. We basically just nailed boards into the molding, added a shelf, and did a decorative paint treatment on it.

We love the new look, and I am sure that our guests are appreciative, too!

Sincerely,

Megan & Jon

Thunderstorms & Mexico

2009-06-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

We have had some technical difficulties down here. Thunderstorms crossed the Mid-South, and we have been without power since Friday night! So, I haven't had access to post since last week.

However, now that we do have the capabilities to post, we will be heading to Mexico. We are heading down to Playa del Carmen tomorrow with some friends.

Back on Sunday!

The Command Center

2009-06-09T15:39:00.001-07:00

Since we gave you a glimpse into our laundry room, we figured we would move onto the room that is attached…Our living room. We call it our command station because everything happens in this room. We hang out, we eat, we work, we catch up on 30 Rock…You get the point.

When we bought the place, this room looked like this…

Yeah, it didn’t start out that badly. This room is a great example of what some small changes will do to create a whole new look. Here is the after picture…

We chose green for the walls because it was the one color that we agreed on besides beige. Marital bliss maintained! We also picked an off-white beige for the brick fireplace. That change alone made a huge difference.

Next, we pulled up the carpet and had our contractor stain the concrete. We love how this looks, and it is so easy to maintain.

We also added a bench seat at the end of the room. The two huge closets were already there, and the bench seat makes for a nice, built-in type of look.

All of all the furniture is either from JC Penney or Value City, and the accessories are from TJ Maxx, Stein Mart, Target or David Kidd Books.

Sincerely,

Megan & Jon

Don't Stop Believin'

2009-06-08T21:15:00.000-07:00

I couldn't believe this transformation. Jon needed an extra place to put his clothes (because apparently our 16 ft closet won't work). Anyways, we purchased this dresser off Craigslist to put in our bedroom. We picked it up after work today, and now it looks like this.

Dresser - $25

Spray Paint & Primer - $15

New Hardware - $20

It fits perfectly in the corner and blends with the rest of our bedroom furniture perfectly. And, it only took a couple of hours to complete.

We accessorized with some items that we had around our house including our old bathroom vanity mirror, a small chalkboard, and a small painting of the Lucky Dog stands in NOLA. I have a vase up there that I am planning on filling with flowers on Friday.

Sincerely,

Megan & Jon

Be Our Guest, Be Our Guest

2009-06-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

Our dining room is the one room in the house that is almost completely finished (mainly because Jon gave me free reign, so I haven’t had to consult him on most of the decisions!). If anybody knows us, they know that we are not really fancy-smancy people, especially with our house. We like to keep everything pretty causal and approachable. This philosophy definitely extends into our dining room.

This room used to be a second living room, but we don’t really need two living rooms right now. The conversion was pretty easy. Here is the before picture:

Just by hanging a chandelier and painting, the transformation was complete. Now, all I need is an area rug to complete the look. Here are some after pictures:

I have 3 favorite things about this room.

The chandelier. I had been stalking this light fixture for a couple of years. Finally, those geniuses at Pottery Barn put it on sale. We snapped that up like that!
The quote & pictures. I think that they give the room a relaxed, personal touch.
The buffet. This Pottery Barn buffet matches perfectly with the freebee table that Jon’s mom gifted us. Thanks, Karen!

We also converted the other side of the room into an entry way (that way you don't feel like you immediately walk into the dining room).

Sincerely,

Megan

Spin Cycle

2009-06-05T14:38:00.000-07:00

You didn’t think that we would start you out with our biggest renovations, did you? So, we will ease you into our chaotic mess by showing you one of our smaller projects.

Here is a picture of our very clean laundry room (Believe me, it is not always this pristine!)…

The washer and dryer actually used to be in a closet in a hallway. So, we closed off the hallway and made a laundry room complete with custom cabinets and tile floors. Recently, I painted the stripes and added the row of hooks -- I got this idea from this post on This Young House.

When we actually do our laundry, we are able to wheel our laundry baskets (Thanks, Target!) right in there. Since the room is off of our living room, I cannot tell you how nice it is to close the door to hide our mess (including all those wedding and baby announcements!).

Now, if we could just find somebody to do the laundry for us!

Sincerely,

Megan & Jon

Thank You!

2009-06-04T18:59:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for all of the well wishes! We are so blessed to have so many great supporters. We will post our first pictures tomorrow...Stay tuned.

Cheers!

Sincerely,

Megan & Jon

Welcome!

2009-06-03T17:50:00.000-07:00

In true Southern hospitality fashion, Jon and I welcome you. We created this blog to track our home renovation and newlywed adventures, and believe me, there are many to report.

When we first got married, we bought a fairly new house, which Jon loved because it meant he had way more time for golf. After two years, we decided to move closer to our jobs in the heart of Memphis.

Time to introduce our baby…

See there it is. Looks pretty unassuming for a 40 year old house; however, we have made much progress. After a three month interior renovation, many tears and much hair-pulling, we finally moved in and thought we were finished. Little did we know that it was just the beginning of our many projects!

Of course, we have plenty of before and after shots of our house, but as we say, “why buy the cow.” We invite you to check back often to see its evolution, and it will save us many emails and Facebook updates to have one central place to post our pictures.

Sincerely,

Megan & Jon