Wall to Wall Sisal?!?!

I took off work yesterday to get some "house" things done.  I needed a day off....I've been waking up at night worrying about "things" so it was nice to have a busy day outside of work where I didn't think of those things all day (not that I didn't start back up at 4 am today!)  Anyway, I went to a shop in downtown Franklin called Foyers and Beyond (you can find it here).  For anyone who doesn't think they like carpet, go here.  This store is amazing...it will make you want to carpet your entire house.  I worked with Donna (the owner) and she is super cute and super nice.  Here's the issue....my carpet budget is tiny.  I have about 2 choices everywhere I go.  BUT...here's the good part...carpet can always be upgraded later on!  The other good part...Donna suggested sisal.  I've been a big fan of wall to wall sisal, seagrass, any natural material for a while.  It's showcased on a lot of the blogs I follow.  Many people aren't brave enough to try it, but when you have a budget like I do, sisal looks like a double fudge sundae (i.e. really great) compared to the other choices!  Here is something like what I picked out -

Sisal or Seagrass carpet.  Photo from Pure Style Home

And here is this look in a room layed wall to wall -

Again - from Pure Style Home

This carpet will go in the master bedroom, guest bedroom, and upstairs.  I have read it's kinda hard to walk on, but it will have a built-in pad and some do not have that, so hopefully that will help.  A big reason I like it, besides the fact that it looks so lovely, is that you can easily layer rugs on top.  I love the idea of layered rugs and Donna at Foyers and Beyond can make you some AMAZING and very reasonable rugs.  I've definitely got my eyes on a few that she has in her store!  Plus I already have some pretty good rugs...and for the moment, I have no kids and no pets.  Hopefully that will change (still deciding about Rocky the kitty), but I think this is my best option now.  I still haven't made a decision about the basement carpet.  I have some berber and just basic "loop" options, but I haven't gotten excited yet, so the search continues.  Here are a couple more pictures -

from Pure Style Home.  This helps me imagine the "twin" room
upstairs...it's the same set-up

From Pure Style Home.  Isn't this nursery lovely!!?!

Anyone have any thoughts about wall to wall sisal? 

More pictures....

I'm such a blogging bum....I love stalking other blogs, but I can't get motivated to post on my own!  L-O-S-E-R.  Okay...all that aside...there has been a LOT going on lately with the house.  I have bought some fun things...fabric included....finalized cabinets....possibly finalized granite (I'm still waivering a bit)...been to talk to a seamstress (whom I loved) about making pillows and some bed stuff....and more.  Here are some fun pictures...

yesterday's view from the guest bedroom:)

The beginnings of a fireplace!! 
I'm standing in the kitchen here and looking into the den!

 On this next one...prepare yourself.  Because I am on a tight budget...and because I am painting the brick...we got remnant brick that doesn't match!  Take a look...pretty fancy, huh?!?!?  See those fancy dark red bricks mixed in with the light pink ones??  The second picture should give you a better look. 

Now isn't that just a FUN look??  I kid...I hope they paint it VERY SOON! 

The weather last weekend was great...it has me longing for spring and a yard to dig in!  I did have a productive weekend...thanks to my niece and nephew!  Here's a few pictures from last weekend....Grace helped me oil my teak table (a craigslist find), and Clay started sanding a headboard for one of my twin beds.
AND...we painted a frame..the picture inside is one of my favorites!  It's my mom when she was the homecoming queen.  Wasn't she lovely??  (And she still is, btw)

Freshly oiled teak chairs! 

I asked Clay to "rough it up" to get it ready for painting...
he got it down to the bare wood!!

This is my mom when she was in high school....gotta find
a special place for this in the house!

Hope you guys have a great rest of the week....I'll be back sooner than later! 

Update on the House....

A LOT of progress has been made on the house....take a look -

January 22, 2011 - starting to roof the house!

January 29, 2011 - The roof...including the shingles are on
Trim is up and windows are in!!!

January 29, 2011 - view of the back

January 20, 2011 - starting to frame for the fireplace....

Everytime I go out to the house, I just get more and more excited.  I dream about curtains and pillows almost every night these days!  It's actually quite annoying b/c I have had trouble sleeping....I feel like a kid at Christmas!  I have made a lot of progress with decorations...bedding...fabric...etc. lately so that has been fun too.  I picked paint colors (Porter Gale Force, Earl Gray, Spiced Vinegar, Heavy Cream & a couple others) and have purchased some fabric to hopefully make some drapery panels for the dining room.  I also bought some great fabric to recover some french arm chairs that I bought off craigslist as well as some to make a couple pillows and a throw for the master bedroom.  LOTS of projects to do over the next month or two...plus packing....and moving!!  I plan on using a lady in cookeville for some of the sewing projects.  The skirt I made (or attempted to make) at the sewing class I took last year didn't give me too much encouragement for my natural sewing abilities. 

The house is in target to be finished by the beginning of April.  Fingers crossed....I'd really like to move in by April 15th (my birthday) at the latest!  I also had my frame walk this weekend.  I picked where the electrical outlets and other stuff like that would go...we talked about the fireplace and custom desk area and how all of that would come together.  Seems strange to choose outlet locations, but it's time to start the wiring inside.  Apparently you have to have certain types of outlets for certain things....like I want a freezer in my garage and they have to put a dedicated outlet for that.  (I'm buying part of a cow....for steaks and stuff....yummy!)  They also started plumbing and they will start the brick this week.  They will also spray the trim this week...and order the cabinets.  I have a few more light fixtures to pick out and get ordered.  It's going to be a busy couple of months.

I hope you guys enjoyed this great weather these past couple of days.  I spent some time with my sister and the kids and we had a good time throwing rocks, making calzones, reading books, etc.  Carter is starting to say more words now (like "ook"...i.e. book) and he crawls at lightning speed.  Here is one picture of him from tonight -

Have a great week.

Katy

Just Pictures....

I'm feeling kinda worn out this week....so I'm just going to post some pictures.  Enjoy! 

Yes....this is me shoveling SNOW out of my house!  Snow Snow go away!

January 15th....second floor is framed...starting on the upstairs!

Front view...finally...something I can walk in!!! YAY!

WOW!

I haven't been to the house much lately...work has been busy and it will be for the next month or more.  BUT...I didn't have to work today so I headed to the house first thing this morning (in my pajama pants) and WOW...they have accomplished SO much in two weeks!  Here's a few pictures from today.  You will notice one is as me standing on the front porch in the same place I stood on the last post....but this time, there is a house behind me!!

Standing on the front porch!

Walking down the stairs into the basement..

Looking up at the house from the back yard

It really is AMAZING how much they have gotten done.  The inside first floor and basement are completely framed, so I can walk through all the rooms and see how big (or small!) they are and imagine what they will be like in just a couple months from now!  It's finally all coming together and it's even more exciting than I imagined!  

Since the last post, I have met with my builder once to discuss all the remaining details.  Since that meeting...paint has been the biggest thing on my mind.  I think I have just about nailed the colors down and I have also started a little online shopping.  Here are a couple of things I have ordered lately:

2 twin duvet covers with powder blue embroidery...I also got towels,
rugs, shams, bedskirts, etc.  From Pottery Barn for the "twin" bedroom

A natural microfiber headboard with silver nailheads from Ballard Designs

Pillows!  Hopefully for the master bedroom...Ballard Designs

I'll share paint colors a little later this week.  Hopefully I will get some of these fun things in the mail this week and I can decide 100% what colors I want.  AND, hopefully next weekend, the second floor will be framed.  Alrthough, the possibility of 4-7 inches of snow tonight and tomorrow could delay us again! 

Things that Santa Brought.....

Hello All.  I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas.  I definitely enjoyed my time off!  Still not a lot of progress on the house...not sure I can blame it on the weather anymore.  I guess they took some time off for the holiday as well!  They did get the basement walls waterproofed and inspected, the plumbing lines are done and they have started to backfill with gravel.  Here are a couple of pictures:

This is me standing on the "front porch"

Black stuff=waterproofing:)

Since those are boring...let me share of picture of one of the things I got for Christmas.  This is the thing I was MOST excited about getting....although all the other gifts were great too!  This is a handmade door knocker for my new house.  It was made by a dear friend and I think it is absolutely FABULOUS! 

Door knocker in the shape of a dragon....
it has beady eyes and was all hand forged!! 
(I think that's proper iron terminology??)

I can't wait to hang this on the door....I think it's AMAZING!  I also got some super cool rain boots (for stomping around on the lot in the MUD), a Panini machine, and some cutie Le Creuset ramekins!

I thought I would share a couple of other pictures as well....these are just pictures that inspire me and I hope they inspire you too!

A gorgeous covered porch created by The Porch Company

HGTV's Color Splash Miami.  I love the wall treatment...hard to see, but it's different
shades of cream...vertical stripes.  I plan to do this in the downstairs guest bedroom!

I bought this rug on clearance at Pottery Barn.  I'm thinking
I will be using it in the dining room.

I hope you all have a Happy New Years...be safe and be sure to eat peas for good luck!

Update on the house....& some Holiday Pictures!

I don't have a lot to update you on about the house...the weather has slowed us down quite a bit.  Here's a quick look at the past couple of weeks....building the basement forms and pouring the basement walls and then starting to put up the blocks along the back wall of the basement.  The house is beginning to take shape.  IF the weather holds out for me, they should be pouring the slab this week and starting the framing the week after Christmas.  Here are a couple of pictures...

Basement Forms

Basement walls poured and forms removed

That's pretty much all that has happened on the house over the last three weeks!  Kinda sad, but it IS finally taking a little shape.  I hope I can go over on Christmas day and see a little more progress.  I can't wait to WALK IN it!   

Enough about the house...here are some pictures from this weekend and one from Clay's violin program a few weeks ago:

Kelley and Carter

Casey, Marija (his girlifriend) and Carter

Clay at his program...so handsome and grown up!

Mammaw and Grace

Me with Carter and Grace

Mom and Jimmy (her boyfriend)

And finally...Santa's little helper...isn't he a cutie?!?!?

Hopefully I will be back with more holiday and house updates soon.

Enjoy this last crazy week of shopping!!