WHOOHOO!!!

So there’s been an article circulating around Facebook lately that lists 30 things you should know by the time you’re 30.  While I have a lot of learning still ahead of me, I feel like the last 30 years have been an incredible journey and learning experience, so I thought I’d share a few of my own thoughts…

The first 15 come from Pamela Redmond Satran at Glamor Magazine.  She writes:

By 30 everyone should know:

1. How to fall in love without losing yourself.
2. How you feel about having kids.
3. How to quit a job, break up with a man and confront a friend without ruining the friendship.
4. When to try harder and when to walk away.
5. How to kiss in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn’t like to happen next.
6. The names of: the secretary of state, your great-grandmother and the best tailor in town.
7. How to live alone, even if you don’t like to.
8. How to take control of your own birthday.{YES!  We are celebrating my birthday this year by doing what I LOVE most, and that is entertaining my closest family and friends in our new house!  We’re throwing a big BBQ in our very own backyard,  and as a previous lifelong renter, this is pretty exciting.   Recently yard work has taken over our lives, so I’m excited to utilize the new space, and will be sure to share our backyard upgrade adventures on the blog soon!  Ok back to the list}
9. That you can’t change the length of your calves, the width of your hips or the nature of your parents.
10. That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it’s over.
11. What you would and wouldn’t do for money or love.
12. That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs or not flossing for very long.
13. Who you can trust, who you can’t and why you shouldn’t take it personally.
14. Not to apologize for something that isn’t your fault.
15. Why they say life begins at 30.

I loved this so much, I thought I would add a few of my own!

By 30, you should know (Jenny’s additions)…

After Tony demolished the “decorative” brick walls in our basement, we were left with a TON of concrete and broken bricks.  And when I say a ton, I mean that literally.

Now multiply this by 3, since we had several “decorative” brick/concrete walls in our basement.

So we were super excited about how much space we now had, but then realized we needed to get rid of the crap (grrr).  Most town trash collection services have concrete or other construction materials on their big fat “do not dispose” list, and I did the math and sneaking a brick into the trash every week would take us about 3 years to dispose of the stuff.

So what now?

As usual, we did some online searching (what else?) and got a few quotes, but due to how heavy our load was (hehe) we got estimates for over $600 for removal!

Then some friends told us about The Bagster, and since the name sounded cute, and well, I love bags – I figured it was worth checking out.

Well I’m glad we did!  For less than $200 we got rid of ALL of our demolition debris, trash, wood, a screen door, and so much more!

Here’s the deal.

1. Buy the bag.

You can pick up a bag for about $30.  You can get it at Home Depot, Ace, Amazon, or other local hardware stores.  You can also check the bagster website to find a retailor that’s close to you.

2. Fill the bag!

This green monstah is 8′ long by 4′ wide by 2’6″ tall, and can hold up to 3,300 pounds.  That’s a LOT of crap!
And bonus: You’ll have the prettiest front lawn on the block for a few days!

Note: Make sure you read up though before you go too crazy, because there are some limitations with certain items (like construction debris).

3. Schedule your bag pick up!

Go online, fill in your location and payment info, and select a pick up date.  We bought our bag on Saturday and it was GONE by Monday!  I wasn’t home to see it (kinda wish I was) but apparently this huge truck comes and just lifts it away!

Thanks Bagster for takin’ our trash!

Just wanted to pass along this incredible Pinterest board by one of my favorites blogs, The Creativity Exchange.

Cyndy has put together more than 300 links to free printables, ready for you to grab and start playing around with!

Free Printable Pinterest board:
http://pinterest.com/theexchange/free-printables/

What can you do with printables?  More like what can’t you do???

• Labels for basically anything
• Gift tags
• Cards
• Wedding escort cards
• File folders
• Gift bags
• Table numbers
• Logos
• Stationary

And while your there, come follow the HFoP Pinterest boards as well!:
http://pinterest.com/HFoP/

I recently finished the last book of the 50 Shades of Gray trilogy and almost shed a tear that it was over.  What now Miss Kindle???

So in an attempt to prolong the obsession, I’m very cleverly tying the book to my blog.  Sneaky, huh?

No in all seriousness, the color gray has been the “IT” neutral for quite some time.  I’m really happy with the gray that we chose for our living room:

Behr Paint in Gentle Rain

But it was not an easy process, since there are so many fantastic shades to choose from!  Here are a few I had looked at… (Christian Gray, you would look good in any of these, by the way…)

Restoration Hardware Flint Collection

Martha Stewart Puddy

Benjamin Moore Coventry Gray

Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray (Source)

I’ve read a million times that gray is the new white.  I know I’m convinced… but what do YOU think?

Now I will say that both of my parents play a unique role in the way our house looks, however it’s my mom’s vision, style, and taste that always get the final say.  (Don’t worry dad – you’ll get some recognition in June!)

I’ve always felt that my mom has great taste, and as I decorate my own home now, I often find myself gravitating towards items or colors that I know she loves.  And that makes me so happy.

For example, we both like things neat and organized but not too “matchy-matchy”.  We share a soft spot for southwestern colors and patterns, and steer clear from really modern pieces.  We hate clutter!!!!   We both agree that things should be pretty AND functional, and that furniture is meant to be sat on.  And reclaimed wood, meaninful knickknacks, a piece of pottery and lot’s of special photographs and artwork help top off the perfect room.

Thanks mom for passing on to me your beautiful sense of style, and of course, so much more.

Happy mother’s day!  I LOVE YOU!

This one’s for you, babe.

xo

Well my friends, here’s your chance!

Here is a short video tour of the Sex and the City star’s one bedroom, fourth-floor, Upper East Side walk-up, which is located just off of Madison Avenue.  It’s a quick video, but I love seeing little decorative details that I never noticed while watching the show.

Click image above or HERE.

Some of my favorite pieces include the bedroom rug and the brown leather chair (from Aiden).

What are yours?  Anything surprise you?

This year I have mixed opinions on the house.  Some rooms I adore, some have elements that I like, and others I’m not so crazy about….

Let’s dive in, shall we?

Outside – LOVE!
I love all the windows and the modern farmhouse style of this home… However the landscaping could use a little sprucing up, don’t you think?

Kitchen = Mixed
I adore the table and benches but am not crazy about the wood and granite pairing in the kitchen area…  It’s almost too “woody” looking!
And the kitchen/cooking area seems a bit on the small side, given the overall size of the home.

Outdoor dining areas – Yes please.
Only gripe is the wall between the grill and the seating area.  Maybe it’s a safety thing, but I feel bad for the grill master who gets blocked off from all the table chat!

However this seating area is wonderful.  Could totally add a fire-pit for some night time relaxation!

Bedroom = Meh. 
There’s a bit too much going on in here for me….  What is up with the headboard with the striped wallpaper?
However I want that gorgeous throw (on the bed) like now!!!

Bedroom #2 = Now that’s more like it!
Perfect pop of red here.  And chevron/ikat bedding…. key to my heart!

Kids Room = OMG yes!  Can I sleep here too?
It’s a toss up between the bulldog print or the ladder and loft area that sold me on this one…

Sitting Room = Mixed.
I’m totally digging the color pallet and the coffee table (amazing), just not crazy about the wall decor and over-sized table and light.  I almost think the room could do without the console table.

So what do YOU think???

See more at HGTV.com/green-home

By the way…Please disregard my “meh” comments if I happen to win this home!  I’ll take it with open arms!

So here’s the deal.  We only have 2 closets on our first floor, which means we do not a lot of room to store items you need but don’t necessarily want to SEE all the time.  The first closet is in the office.  It’s large and cedar which is wonderful, but living in New England means you have 10,000 coats (cause you need a few for each season, right?) so we pretty much filled that closet the first day we moved in.

The other closet resides in our downstairs hall, and had been serving as a multipurpose storage center.  It quickly became the home for all things Roxy (doggie bags, food, meds, leash, treats) small tools that we need every day access to (drill, tape measure, hammer, screw driver, utility knife, nails, screws), and cleaning supplies (broom, swiffer, dustpan, rags, vacuum).  As you can probably tell, for a small closet – it was jam packed!

I smell a project!!!

First I did some research to see what was already out there.  I had to take into consideration the fact that our door is more narrow than a standard door, measuring in at 20″ wide, and because of that, the knob would get in the way of anything that came with a fixed measurement.   So solutions like these were not a possibility for me, but could work well for you!

Source

And I also wanted something that could hold cleaning supplies, so this cute solution was out…

Source

After a lot of research I decided that the Elfa Door Organizer from The Container Store (MY FAVORITE STORE EVER!!!) was perfect because it allows you to mount it to any spot on your door, and you can hang (and move around) the baskets depending on your space and knob placement.  The baskets do not need hardware to attach to the center mount, so it’s literally “a snap”!

So off to the store I went to pick up the parts I needed.

What I bought:

1. elfa® Narrow Deep Basket, 2. elfa® Deep Basket White, 3. 63″ Mounted Standard White, 4. elfa Shelf Hooks White Pkg/3, 5. elfa Hollow Door Anchors & Screws Pkg/5

We needed to mount it slightly off center so that the baskets wouldn’t hit the door frame when closing, but in 10 minutes, this project was complete!

(Per usual, Tony hung the rack, followed by me shoving him to the side so I could organize).

I love this quote.  I get this quote.

My home design style is probably based equally on looks and functionality.  While I am drawn individual pieces, colors and textures, I also put usability at the forefront.  I like decor items that perform double duty, placements that provide easy access, and spaces that are clean and easy to work around.

I don’t care how pretty or trendy you are… Fragile dinnerware or uncomfortable seating?  Not in my house!

Now if only I could have beat him to the iPod design…

{Have a great weekend everyone!}