Back Where I Come From--Part Two--Main Living Area

The Living Area

When we began looking for house plans, I knew what I wanted. I love windows and porches. I like to be able to go from the front of the house to the back. I don't like split bedroom floor plans.  And, I did not want the laundry room to be a main entrance to our house. Well, that house is not out there! So, my dad drew our house plans for us...making it the PERFECT floor plan.  The living area is a large living room, dining room, kitchen combined. We added a play room upstairs at the last minute which gave us the opportunity for a beautiful staircase in our living area. 

Our fireplace is made of old brick from a building that was torn down in Downtown Newport. It is located in our dining room. I saw a Pioneer Woman episode one day and her fireplace was next to the dining table. I thought that was so cozy and had to have it in my house!

The main area is where I really incorporated Junk Gypsy style! Although some of my junky finds are just that JUNK that I happened to think looked cool! But, most of it has some sort of special meaning to me! That makes it work in our house!! 

On the mantle I used old blue mason jars, vintage pool balls in a jar, Nancy Drew books, and an oil lamp! The oil lamp was Brett's grandmothers and I read and collect Nancy Drew books!

Who doesn't need a glitzed up old decoy? The home of an avid duck hunter definitely deserves one!

An old ladder with coffee burlap bags draped on the rungs.

It's football season, y'all!! Woo Pig Sooiee!

I LOVE the way our stair rails turned out. They are made of old rusted rebar!

I found several old fruit crates on ebay, but then I found these new ones at Walmart! They were MUCH cheaper and I plan to stain them to look old!

I found this old chair at an antique store in Mt. View and just painted the lyrics "And I think to myself, what a wonderful world"  Then, I decorated it with an old lantern and a bible story book that was my dad's! The turquoise door is an old classroom door from Newport High School!

This barnwood and tin hutch was the perfect find! I have decorated it with an old gas can, mason jars, a Handy Andy tool kit, an adding machine, and quilts! Very rustic and junky!!

Bless Your Heart!

I'm a computer teacher, so this vintage keyboard is perfect!

These old burlap seed sacks were an incredible find!! Searching on Ebay, I was ecstatic when I found a rice seed sack from Newport, AR and a soybean sack from Diaz!! How cool? Then, when I showed them to Brett, he told me that Buck Hurley is the man who helped his grandpa get into farming! Wow! That made it even more special!

I wanted my living area walls and ceiling to be barnwood. When I began researching barnwood, I discovered that A) it is expensive and B) it can have bugs and mold. That's when I decided to try to make new wood look like old wood. I found a grey paint and hand stained ALL of the boards on our walls by painting the board and wiping it down with a wet washcloth! It was well worth the work!! The ceiling boards were created the same way but we used an off white paint to stain the boards. I love how there are knot holes and imperfections! It really looks authentic!

That big blank wall going into the hallway?? I have no idea! Any suggestions?? I'm waiting for the perfect inspiration, I guess!!

Do you all see that little punkin who snuck in my picture?? She thinks I'm taking a picture of her!!

The Kitchen

This kitchen is PERFECT!! It turned out just the way I wanted! We hung barn tin on the ceiling in the kitchen just like the porches! I was scared to do this, but I am so glad we took that risk! 

The REAL Living Area

In Newport a screen porch is a NECESSITY!! The mosquitoes are crazy here! Our house plan had a wrap around porch so we decided to just screen in the side and back of our porch. We had a cable run to the screen porch so that we can watch ballgames outside while grilling!

The ceiling of our porch is rusted barn tin that was on a barn on our farm!

This old bench is actually out of a duck blind that Brett has hunted in his whole life! I plan to add pots of mums in the fall and geraniums in the summer!

I wanted to paint my front door turquoise, but decided to stain it instead. That left me still wanting turquoise doors so I painted my screen doors!

Rocking chairs on the front porch!

I love how some of these bricks are turned to show the name of the brick company!!

Y'all come back now. Ya hear?

Back Where I Come From--Part 1--Bedrooms and Bathrooms

Finally!! We are all moved in our new home and couldn't be happier.  It is absolutely, without a doubt my dream home.  We decided to build on a 2.5 acre lot that is right across the highway from where I grew up! It's the perfect spot, we see deer in the mornings and afternoons, take afternoon runs by cows and horses, and have wide open spaces to play in the yard! However, it is only about 5 minutes from Walmart and McDonalds!!

 Our style is Cottage Rustic with a little Junk Gypsy inspiration! You'll notice that in every room in my house I have at least one scripture. Learning scripture, knowing it, hiding it in our hearts is so important to me. I want to instill that importance into my children. I want them to see and hear God's word when they are faced with temptations. I want to see and hear God's word when I'm faced with temptations. I also want my house guests to know that I love God. That He is the most important part of our family. Deuteronomy 6 tells us to keep God's words on our heart, talk about them, teach them, at night and in the morning, bind them to our hand and forehead, and write them on the doorposts and gates of our houses. God wants us to know His word and to share it.

Lila Grace's Room

I chose soft pink and turquoise for Little Miss Priss's room. I incorporated the rustic feel by using some barnwood frames, an old metal end table, and a vintage mirror. I painted her bed, dresser, and mirror using my favorite, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White! Then I replaced the knobs with rustic turquoise knobs from Hobby Lobby. Her bedding and rug are both from Pottery Barn, as well as the chandelier! The bookshelves are actually spice racks from Ikea, which I painted with ASCP also! I made all of the wall art. For the printed pieces I used Photoshop and Mod Podge!

On the bookshelves below, I carefully chose books that are special to us! Some were mine when I was little, like We Help Daddy and The Little House and some were Hannah's like Fancy Nancy and Alligator Sue.

Ty Brownd's Room and Bathroom

Ty got to have his own room and bathroom because he's a boy, and let's face it, boys are gross! His room is decorated with sports and duck hunting, while his bathroom is decorated in a fishing theme. We had the contractor hang barnwood on one wall in his room to give his room an even more rustic feel.  His bedding is also from Pottery Barn. I painted his bed and "book shed" (as he calls it) using Annie Sloan Graphite. The mounted ducks on the wall were the first ducks Brett killed as a little boy. Maybe this year, Ty can add his own ducks to the wall.

"Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Oh how I pray that my kids will follow Him.

My mom had these fishing pictures that she had cross-stitched, so she let me have them for Ty's bathroom. I love what the blue one says. "God grant that I may live to fish until my dying day, and when it comes to my last cast I then most humble pray, When in the Lord's safe landing net, I'm peacefully asleep. That in His mercy I be judged as big enough to keep."

UPDATED!! Ty's room started out hunting and sports, but then I decided to move the hunting decor upstairs to the play room and make Ty's room sports only! Wall art and bedding from Pottery Barn Teen.

I love these vintage sports chapter books I have started collecting. They are such good stories and fun decorations too!  

Duck calls, footballs, baseballs...what more could a little boy need?

Hannah Iris's Room

Hannah got a more grown up version of Lila's room. She also has a chandelier and rug from Pottery Barn. Her bedding is from Dillard's and incorporates more vibrant colors. I tried to include all of her interests into her decor. I have a picture of her with her violin, a section on her cabinet for softball trophies and pictures, and a bulletin board with special pictures and items.  Her bed was my bed when I was growing up and I painted it with Annie Sloan Old White. 

I plan to paint this dress in AS Old White also. I just haven't had time yet!

 This was my desk, then it was in my brothers' room. It was solid wood color until I painted it for Hannah. I left the top unpainted because it has signatures from my friends, my brothers' friends, and now Hannah's friends! Look closely, you may find your name!! The doll on the desk is a ragdoll that Hannah made with the help of Grammy.

 The violin was Hannah's first violin! Again, I incorporated a little rustic with barnwood frames, a burlap canvas, and a tin owl.

 

 The book shelf and end table above were painted with Annie Sloan Old White. Below, is a curio cabinet full of Precious Moments figurines! I collected these when I was little, and now Hannah collects them too!  

The Girls' Bathroom

For the girls/guest bathroom, I went with a simple style based on the picture of the flowers!.I love how the picture illustrates the scripture. Do not conform, my sweet girls. Be different. Be like Jesus.

And this scripture is another one I want my girls to know. Beauty is so relative. Make sure you are beautiful within.

And for heaven's sake, be Southern!

Master Bedroom

Our bedroom is a work in progress!! It definitely needs a few more personal touches, like throw pillows on the bed! But, it will get there...eventually! My bathroom and laundry room will have to come in another post! The ideas are in my head, but not on the walls!! My bathroom is going to be lake theme...pictures from past lake visits, life is better at the lake signs, and a vintage slalom ski just like the one my daddy skied on that I ordered from Ebay!!

The headboard is a vintage 1970s that I painted with Annie Sloan Florence! I just LOVE turquoise!! The other furniture goes with the bed, but I painted it white years ago. I thought if I repainted it all it might be a little too much turquoise!!

 Please ignore the empty red picture frames, especially the one with sideways people!! Shutterfly has not delivered my pictures yet and I'm ready to blog! The barnwood frames are supposed to be empty.

I have yearbooks and high school pictures of me and Brett on our dresser! Why not embrace the whole high school sweetheart thing? And, yes, I have a quote from Dazed and Confused!! It is our motto, for real!! Brett and I always say we're just livin', L  I  V  I  N!!

Playroom

Ty wanted to name our playroom "Bustin' Mallards Pool Hall." 

Since Spoonbill ducks are referred to as "Hollywoods" our pool tournaments are called Hollywood Pool Tournament.