:: 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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:: beadboard vs. barnwood

Beadboard vs. barnwood, this is my dilemma. I am currently in the process of getting a new pantry {I recently posted about it here}. In approximately one week we will have the new pantry installed. So...the pressure is on to decide what I want to do to the back wall of my pantry. Do I simply paint it, or do I add some panache by adding a great looking wallpaper? Do I do it before it's installed, or do I add it later? Right now, I'm leaning towards just having it painted because it's simple and less work. However, I'm loving these great wallpaper choices that are available, especially these great distressed looks.

So what's your opinion? Do I go ahead & try to have it painted? Or...do I add the wallpaper, and if so do I hang it before or add it after the install? So many questions & decisions to be made, so little time. 

Hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend, my kids & I are off to the mountains for a weekend of treasure hunting at the Hillsville Virginia Labor Day flea market.  Hopefully I'll come back with some awesome goodies to share with you. If you are close by, I highly suggest going it's a great event & the whole town is turned into a treasure hunters dream.

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

Source Images:  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

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:: dream pantry

                            Spaces design by Other Metros Design-build Witt Construction

{ p a n t r y   l o v e }

This is what I've been dreaming about lately.  I love this pantry....every last thing about it. Due to a recent failure of our lovely builders wire shelving, we are now looking to redo our pantry.  This is the look I'm going for....to a point of course...but you get the idea.

This is as good as my current pantry gets. It's just impossible to keep it looking this neat.

So, wish me luck & I'll keep you posted on our little pantry project. 

Hopefully I'll end up with a pantry worthy of Houzz { fingers crossed }.

{ peace, love & hugs }

Carrie

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{ pantry overhaul }

Welcome to my Pantry...

Now, this is how I like my pantry to look, under control and well organized.

Every so often though I have to give it an overhaul, because as you probably well know, 

things never seem to make it back where they belong, especially with children in and out.

We did pretty good the last time I organized, so we'll see how long it lasts this time.

Why Oh Why, can't it just stay looking like this forever?

I keep all the pretties on the right side of the pantry in front of the door,

so this is what you see when the door is left open...which is most of the time.

I purchased the clear containers from the dollar store after I moved in 6 years ago.

They have served us well, but eventually I would like to switch them to glass when the kids are a little 

older and can manage them easier { plastics make me a little nervous these days }.

I purchased each of the larger folio baskets at Target yesterday for $14.99 each.

This was very much a splurge, but I was really sick of my pantry and ready to get it back under control.

The baskets up top are also past purchases from target, and are for entertaining, the large round one is

for chips, salsa or guacamole { a must at our house },  the top rectangular basket holds rolled up

cloth napkins, and the basket below is divided to hold silverware, or plastics.

This is the business side of the pantry where I keep all the not so pretties.

The very top shelf is where I keep my serving and entertaining bits.

The shelf on the left below I have all of my baking goods and spices.

Below that are all of the canned goods from the grocers, and the next 

shelf down holds my larger boxed items, in the small baskets below

I store things like smaller packets of hot cocoa, microwave popcorn,

instant oatmeal, and ramen noodles { the kids & I love them }.

On the floor I have my large stockpot, a box of all occasion cards,

an old make-up box holds all of my cake decorating supplies,

then I have my large containers of vinegars, for cooking and cleaning.

The trash bin is for larger recycling items that won't fit in my other bin.

Then of course no pantry would be complete without the baggie organizer.

I try to always take my own bags to the market, but I'm pretty much the only one who

does, and I'm not perfect so we always end up with a collection of plastic bags.

So, what do you think?

I wish I had taken a before shot, but I had everything out on the counters before I even thought about it.

Well that's one thing off my list with what feels like hundreds more to go.

School will be starting soon, so you'll see many more projects in the future.

Boo Hoo, this means vacation is truly over.

* peace, love & hugs *

Carrie

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