:: leaving our nest

The Wren's Nest...a HOME tour...

Well, it's official we are leaving our nest soon....see my little perch hanging under there. I'm excited for the change, but also a little sad to leave my home of 10 years. I can hardly believe it's been that long, my children were just little little's when we moved in, now they are teenagers. We've had so many good times in this home...it's bittersweet leaving it all behind.

Many meals with friends & family have been enjoyed in this kitchen. I can just see my kids propped on the bar building gingerbread houses, making cookies for Santa & dyeing easter eggs.

Cozy fires, Christmas morning, and beautiful sunrises have been the highlight of this living room.

The dining room like most sees action only on special occasions such as holidays & parties.

The kid zone....hodge podge furnishings, cartoons & movies, drums & guitar, games & sleepovers...many many memories.

One of my favorite spaces to create has been my sweet Punky's apartment

I put in the bookcases & gate to create a little playhouse area when she was little & also to hide all the mess/toys from the door , now it's her personal sleeping space & hideaway & she has a little living room instead. Time is marching on, and toys are giving way to boys {uh oh... well not quite yet} clothes is more like it.

My little mister has gone from a giant playroom bedroom to his personal pad including private bath. Gaming system & computer station required.

Our oldest chick is off to college and this has become a landing zone & dumping ground for her more & more infrequent visits as she enjoys her new found freedom.

Movie central, family hangout & guest quarters complete with private bath & workout room.

My fun studio with it's amazing vaulted ceiling, I'll miss you too...at least when you're clean

{ Our Dreamy Master Bed & Bath }

Many talks & cozy sundays have been spent in front of this fireplace in our Master bedroom.

Kids sleeping on the sofa at the foot of the bed, and snuggled in with us too. Those days too are fading away as everyone grows up and into their own...ready for change & a new move.

Proof that things are what you make them, those are simple wire shelves. A little organization makes things much nicer. Though it is a big closet,  it doesn't have to be big to be tidy & pretty.

Just a simple laundry room, but I sure will miss my little window. 

In my personal opinion this could have very well sold our house all on it's own...

{ THE PANTRY }

Is it crazy that this is probably one of the things I'll miss most about this house....my new pantry.  I just had it custom designed to my specifications not even a year ago now. The best part is that my family finally keeps it neat & clean too. What more can a mother ask for?

Hmmm did I leave anything out? Besides bathrooms? 

A Foyer? A lovely staircase, what, did you say two staircases? Done.

Front Staircase

Back Staircase from keeping room.

Goodbye my lovely home with 2 tons of new rock borders installed just last fall by yours truly. I can't believe we are actually moving. I hope the new owners will enjoy all of the hard work & love that have gone into making this house a home...it's been good to us for 10 years.

Mostly we'll miss all of our friends & wonderful neighbors.

WELCOME HOME

{tears, sniffle sniffle}

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

P.S.  stay tuned for our adventures in moving & our new home.

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:: master inspiration

I stumbled across this image on pinterest today,

and this is exactly the wall color I want for my master bedroom.

I'm absolutely dying over those walls and that color.

I love that the headboard is brown which mine is also,

and I've been thinking of painting our nightstands/chests

a pretty gray color to match the marble tops.

I never wanted my nightstand to match my bed,

but our bed is so high, and I was playing it so safe back then,

that I just ordered the same one my husband did.

The color of these pieces is perfect....and those lamps.

I adore EVERYTHING about this room,

and now I just need to find out the source for this image

so I can figure out what color that is on the walls.

Unfortunately this was pinned directly from Google,

and I can't find it through any of my searches.

I 've asked the original pinner if she knows,

but if you've seen this room, or know who it belongs to do tell.

I hate to use it without a credit, as this is poor web etiquette,

but I just had to share it today.

Oooh, and I will most certainly paint my vaulted/trey ceilings a lighter shade,

and find a beautiful chandelier to top it all off.

I'm so ready to finish our Master Bedroom.

So many projects, so little time & extra cash ; ).

What rooms are you daydreaming about making over?

Happy Monday!

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

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:: details

Just a few of the things I love from my clients home....

Love these glass jars and the old wooden bowl...the bowl was found at an antique store,

the large aqua bottle at a consignment store, and the two smaller jars were found at Tuesday Morning.

Bamboo framed mirror....Goodwill, topiary....antique store.

Quilted bird pillow....Tuesday Morning.

Faux herb pots and carrier....Target.

Original Rooster painting & olive oil bottle....Consignment store.

Sneak peek at the kitchen so far.

Butterfly print, orchid, and bird....Kohl's.

Quatrafoil Mirror....Target.

Sneak peek at the master bedroom through a fabulous mirror.

I'm still working on my friends home design, and things are really coming together nicely.

We still have some projects & shopping left to do, but we are getting there, and on a good budget too.

Stay tuned for the finished rooms...hopefully very soon.

Happy Decorating : )

Carrie

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{ after first }

I decided today to start out with the after photos this time,

just because the before photos are so bad quality wise.

Besides, I want my little thumbnail pic to be pretty if it's on your blog.

So below is my bedroom today, it's come a long way since we first moved in.

Of course the bedroom is always the last to be decorated,  and ours was really no different.

After six years my bedroom is the only room without window treatments.

 I am in the process of looking for some right now though.

As someone who generally learns from her past decorating mistakes,

I really want to find some inexpensive, but nice ready mades.

Like I've said before, I change my mind a lot. 

Pottery Barn has some panels that I really love in cotton/linen,

but when I priced it out, it added up to over $700.00 just for eight curtain panels { ouch }.

I have to say that's just a little more than my budget can handle right now, 

so I'm exploring other options, I found something very similar at Target.

One thing I am sure of is that I want bronze rods, with very simple finials,

and I do want a cotton or linen fabric in an off white or ivory color 

to match my matelassé, and keep the room airy and bright.

I've thought about custom curtains, and a new bedskirt,

but again, I change my mind so often it's just not prudent.

{ today }

Recognize the sofa and my corner reading chair?

They were the original living room furniture we picked out.

They fit perfectly in this room, and the color ended up going quite nicely

with the bedding and rugs, for a nice, neutral, soothing escape.

I love my bed, it is by far the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in.

The sofa isn't too shabby either when it comes to those long afternoon naps.

My bed makes me feel like a princess, and when I'm away I always look forward to

coming home and sleeping in my warm, cozy, cushy bed.

Another thing I especially love about my bedroom is my  fireplace,

it is definitely one of the things that sold me on my house. 

{ even though there wasn't one mature tree anywhere on the property }

Funny the things you will sacrifice when you are looking for the perfect home.

Actually, the fact that there are four fireplaces sold me,  I love to snuggle in front of a warm fire, 

and honestly, that's just not something you generally find in new construction today.

There were supposed to be built ins on either side of the fireplace,

however, for some reason the builder decided he didn't need to add them,

and we didn't find out until too late...some day we will have them added,

but for now, there is a little nook for our Lucy to sleep in, and I've just added this

little table and lamp to fill up the other nook.  When we do have the built ins done,

each one will have a little chicken wire cabinet underneath for each of our yorkies to sleep in at night.

because If they aren't in a kennel, they wake Papa up in the middle of the night to go out,

I think it will be so nice to give them each their own little nest....someday.

{ bedroom in 2005 ]

Thanks so much for visiting me, and for all of the sweet comments you leave me.

I look so forward to what you have to say, and I have received some great advice through this blog.

It's so nice to get to share my home with you,  and  I'm especially happy that you think it looks comfy and

inviting, because that is exactly what I want,  a nice place for friends and family to visit.

Just a little clarification for my dear sweet friends here at home, 

A move to Wilmington is still a few years away for us,  I think we will be waiting until our oldest

graduates from high school, and goes off to college before we make any major changes.

It's still kinda fun to think about,  change can definitely be a good thing sometimes.

Sorry for the false alarm,  Papa really did have me thinking he was ready to get out of dodge though,

and of course being the amazingly wonderful wife that I am, I always jump on board. { * wink * }

* peace & love*

Carrie

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