part one... DONE

Part one of the re-model is DONE! I got a lot of advice from many different sources so thank you so much to those of you that offered your opinion. After trying a ton of different colors, I realized that I needed to go with warmer tones. Our cabinets are cherry and the cooler shades just weren't going with the feel of the room. I ended up picking a darker color than I thought I would and just did the accent wall along the back of the dining room. The shade is "dill" and I love it. It is just the right temperature for the room and plays off all of the earth tones that I have going on. We also got a new dining room table that I LOOOOVE so that helped tremendously. I am still working on the half bath so I will get those pix posted when I finish it. But for now..... here are the dining room pictures- I think has just transformed the space and looks like we put an addition on the kitchen. Yay for projects that make us happy inside!! haha

fixer upper

Ok, so I know I said that my only project for the summer was going to be ME... and it is... but there are only so many hours in the day you can spend at the gym, making healthy snacks and "relaxing". So let's extend the title of this summer's project to ME and things that make ME happy... :o)
I love, LOVE my new house. it is cozy but big enough for guests, looks nice when I clean it and has a ton of potential... hmmm potential. Although I love almost everything about it's charm, neutrality and "do nothing to me and I still look great" qualities, it needs more "me" in it. I would say it needs more "us" but Mike has insisted that he could care less about color scheme or wall hangings, so I guess I'm on my own in the style department. I am excited but nervous to make changes because I don't want to mess up an already good thing or cheapen the look of the house. I have put a lot of thought into the things that bother me the most and I really want to work on the boring dining room and the even worse 1/2 bathroom on the main floor. I have a bigger project for our big and VERY empty front room but that will have to wait until we can budget for some furniture ;o)
For now, I am thinking paint and wall hangings- we still have a ton of cute stuff left over from our wedding that we have yet to put up due to severe lack of space. I refused to give it up and trucked it (literally) all the way from Massachusetts knowing that I would have a cute wall to put it up on one day ;o) The walls just need a little warmth and color to break up the (very pretty) but all over color of "toasted almond".
As I am working alone on this endeavor- feedback and suggestions are welcomed... you know when you just need someone else to tell you its right or not quite right? Well I have no one here to help me with that, so girlfriends- help a sister out!! I'll post pics as I go along and I hope to hear back from one or two of you with some stylin' advice!

ok: update... out of these two colors I REALLY thought I wanted the darker (olive green) color... but once they dried, I think it is too dark for these spaces. They tend to be darker parts of the house anyway and I don't want to make them blah... however I am not sold on the lighter... I may head back to the depot to find something in between... stay tuned

Balance

One whole week into summer vacation and I am already used to this lifestyle :o) Just the freedom of having my own time, my own schedule, my own life back is fantastic. I was so used to being dictated by the lives and families of 3 and 4 year olds that I forgot that I have my own life and family. Every summer I try to take on a "project" that I focus my energies on so that I am not just catching up on trash tv that I missed while I was teaching all year {not that I DONT catch up on a few guilty pleasure shows but I am determined not to be couch bound}. One summer we got our dog, Meli. I spent the whole summer training her and working with her so that she would be the angel she is today by the time I went back to work. Last summer we moved and I worked on my 10 year reunion. This year, I decided that my project needs to be ME. Sounds funny when I type that "out loud". I just need some time to put myself first. I have literally stopped exercising since I moved here- HORRIBLE I know but there just were not enough hours in the day (how people work, work-out and have children I will NEVER know). I do not feel comfortable in my body (let alone my clothing) which is a very hard thing for me. Weight is a topic that I struggle with daily, that I have struggled with since I was 15 and it is time to put "healthy" above anything else on my to-do list.
To me, healthy means:
~ Peace.... I want to breathe, read and enjoy
~ Strength... I want to be in control of my body... what goes in it and what I am able to do with it {strength in muscle and will power}
~ Cleansing... I want to choose food that will drive me, nourish me and make me just FEEL better
~ Forgiveness... I want to excuse myself for the past year... for not giving to myself like I should... and to focus on where I will go from here, not how stagnant things became... to stop beating myself up for how I DON'T look.

These are, for one reason or another, very big mountains for me to climb. I tend to justify focusing on others but not taking care of my own needs... I need to remember that I am worthless to others if I am not whole.

The Plan:
lots of jogging, pilates, vegetables, books and water
less stress, guilt, tears, food that makes me feel bad but less feeling bad if I need to indulge...
more time with Mike, my dog, my garden

time to feel BETTER and find my BALANCE :o)