The Blue Door & More

Most Magnificent Mantle

Posted on March 1, 2017August 7, 2019 by Leah

It seems like it took a lifetime to get our mantle made and installed. It was totally worth the wait in my opinion. Before our house even had studs for walls, I saw a picture of this kitchen with a raw wood countertop for a bar. Raw edges, wood grain, oh my beauty! I had to have it for our mantle!

A local Amish man built our kitchen cabinets and he had another Amish friend who could help us find a log for our mantle. This lovely chunk of walnut sat out for ages to dry, all the bark had to be picked off by hand, and after some light sanding it was finally ready for a little clear coat.

I absolutely love that it’s not straight across. The knot is visible when sitting in my chair and creates such a unique shape. It’s perfectly imperfect, raw, natural, and I am in love. ?

It’s actually been difficult to decorate – I have so many ideas but terribly expensive taste in vases apparently. Who knew? I didn’t really care for vases until the last month or so. The Mr. & Mrs. sign was a wedding gift and I think the rustic-look fits perfectly between the mantle and my husband’s deer (he calls him Billy – Bobby is hanging in an opposing corner ?). I am obsessed with white porcelain right now and had gotten this hand-me-down Fiesta Ware pitcher from my mother-in-law and stuck it up there one day (and it seem like it will come down anytime soon). The sphere on top of it is from Hobby Lobby. I bought 5 for a bowl on our sofa table but only 3 fit so I had extra to add a little teal up there. The three little bowls are stacked. They are from Target and were a shower gift from some co-workers. I thought stacking them gave an interesting look and a little height. Lastly, the mercury glass candle holders are the newest addition that I feel helped make things seem a little more complete (I am not actually done decorating this in the slightest). Our local hardware store has a gift shop and they have EVERYTHING on sale for 50% off right now in preparation for some remodeling. We picked up the 3 for a total of $15 last weekend. Not too shabby!

The whole fireplace isn’t finished but it has definitely made a huge improvement and feels more like a home with the mantle. The tile on the step is what we plan to put around the fireplace up to the mantle. It will also cover up that aluminum looking strip right above the unit. To be honest, I don’t even notice those imperfections any more because it’s so nice looking above! I can’t wait to continue to decorate it, especially seasonally. We’ve celebrated two Christmas’s in this house, believe me when I say I have ideas waiting to execute!

10 Ways to Get Rid of Cabin Fever

Posted on February 24, 2017August 7, 2019 by Leah

This winter is hopefully more than halfway over and it has been very eventful with weather. I’m pretty sure we have had more snow days and ice days this year than the last 3 years combined! Luckily, I work at a company that lets employees work from home so neither one of us has had to venture out into the forbidden tundra on really bad days (like today). Sometimes those days have fallen on weekends and we have been able to work on a ton of house projects (or start them until we run out of supplies ?), which has been great to see so much progress happen in only a month’s time. But then we run out of projects, supplies, or ideas and we find ourselves feeling a little holed up with a bad case of cabin fever. Here is a list of things I do to help rid that restless feeling. Some I have tried and swear by, while others I have tucked up my sleeve for the next time we get snowed in.

Things to do when you have cabin fever:

Workout! Hear me out, you are stuck inside the house way more than normal and probably aren’t even going out to get groceries, which means your Fitbit is telling you that you are seriously lacking some steps. Get up and walk a lap around the house. If you’re cold, do some push-ups or jumping jacks –> Trust me on this, in college I had roommates who didn’t want to pay for heat, my room was a lovely 58 degrees most of the time and my arms had never been so toned!
Have a movie marathon. Use Netflix, Hulu, DVDs… I personally recommend Harry Potter. The Gryffindor crew will keep your attention for hourrrrrrssssss.
Hang out in your closet! Whether you are due to go through and get rid of old clothes or you want to create some new outfits, you’ll definitely warm up trying on clothes. Bonus points if you pick out your outfits for the next week or month!
Bake something! Open up Pinterest and make something you pinned months ago. Not only will you have a delicious treat after working out, but the oven will help heat up the house too.
Clean. Maybe this should be lower on the list as a last resort but it will get you moving and you will feel great sitting down to Hermione and friends with a clean house.
Organize your finances! I might be the only one who thinks that should have an exclamation but really, it should be exciting. Banks are all online now so you can see your account in real time, balance your checkbook, make a budget, etc. You can also work on budgeting a vacation to the Caribbean this time next year so you won’t need this list again! ?
Do a puzzle. A 1,000 piece puzzle can keep you occupied all day if you try hard enough. Just make sure you take breaks to stretch!
Decorate. I’m sort of new to this because I don’t have a lot of décor right now but every time I buy or make something, I make sure it can be displayed in more than one location. Move the centerpiece from your dining table to the mantle or hutch. Take out a pitcher from summer and make it your centerpiece on your kitchen table. Rearrange picture frames on the walls, or even swap out pictures for a refresh. Once you start brainstorming the imagination runs wild.
Make something. You know that time you bought yarn because you wanted to become a knitter? Or what about those beads you got to make a necklace? Go make it!
Music. Open YouTube and take turns playing your favorite songs from high school. It’s like finding a ton of new reasons to love your spouse when you realize you both loved the same punk rock bands. ?

And there you have it, 10 ways to get rid of cabin fever. What ideas have you tried?

DIY Tile Magnets

Posted on February 21, 2017August 7, 2019 by Leah

Landon and I moved into our house just a couple months before Christmas in 2015. It was our first Christmas as newlyweds and we were blessed to receive countless Christmas cards from friends and family. I couldn’t wait to display them on our fridge! There was just one problem – we only owned a handful of magnets. I looked high and low and just could not find any I liked so I decided to make my own. The great thing is that I paid only a few dollars and have enough tiles to make over 100 magnets! I do not need that many but they would work great as gifts (for everyone you’ve ever met ?).

Supplies:

Backsplash tiles (I got this one from Home Depot)
E6000 glue (can find at your local craft or hardware store)
Magnets (the size will depend on the size and weight of your tiles)

The tiles come on a mesh backing. All you have to do is peel each tile off and it’s ready to assemble.

Add a dab of glue to the middle of a magnet and stick the tile on.

Wait a full 24 hours to make sure the glue is dry. After that, stick them on your fridge and put ’em to work!

The great thing about using backsplash tiles is that there are TONS of options to choose from and even if you get a 12×12 inch tile for closer to $15-20, you still will be able to make a ton of magnets for not that much.

3 Songs For My Valentine

Posted on February 14, 2017August 7, 2019 by Leah

Oh Valentine’s Day. What a wondrous occasion that leaves men frazzled at floral prices and women hoping their bouquet arrives before their coworkers’. Actually, I’m sure that is true for many places in the world but, thankfully, I did not get that vibe today. ??

Today, I did get a little reminiscent with songs that have goofy, special, and fun meanings that represent the relationship I have with my husband. I spent all morning rocking out to them on YouTube and just had to share.

The Goofy – “Shut Up & Dance” by Walk the Moon. We actually used a string quartet version of this for our recessional song as we walked back up the aisle as husband and wife. {Excuse me a moment while I recall that perfect day. ?}

The Special – “A Drop in the Ocean” by Ron Pope. This is definitely a misty-eyed song. It was also our first dance. It has so many little meanings for how we found each other and how our love grew fast and fierce. Plus, it’s just a gorgeous song.

The Fun – “Crazy” by Ben Rector. I borrowed this CD from the library last summer when “Brand New” came out and I literally laughed out loud when I heard this song. It captures our simple little life perfectly but I honestly wouldn’t change it for anything. ?

Hope you enjoyed the songs! Now, if you don’t mind I’m going back to my “crazy” life watching Fixer Upper on HGTV while I wait for my husband to get home from coaching basketball. Yep, pretty simple V-Day but every day is great with Landon – and Hallmark doesn’t need our money. ?

The Most Amazing Chair Ever…& New Curtain Rods

Posted on February 8, 2017August 7, 2019 by Leah

I am so excited about this post and it feels like it has taken forever to share because I have not been home at the right time for decent lighting to take pictures. I love sunny winter days but they really hurt taking clear pictures in rooms that face south. Never mind that now, I was able to figure out some creative lighting techniques after work and now have pictures! Without further ado, here is my post:

It all started when we rearranged our sectional in the living room to make room for our Christmas tree. It turned out we would have a lot of floor space after the tree came down if we left the couch where it was. My husband has always wanted a recliner and I have always wanted a fashionable chair. A trendy push back was the perfect solution! Set with a budget in mind, we went wandering into a furniture store on New Year’s Eve. I never expected to find the perfect chair at the first store (and it was on sale for $200 less than I budgeted for!) but we did and ordered it the same day. Last week we got the call that it finally was in and ready for pick up!

Saturday, Landon and I had back-to-back eye appointments (gotta keep those peepers healthy! ?) and we decided to take an early Valentine’s lunch afterwards ❤️. It worked out perfectly that we would already be in the city the chair was in and could pick it up after our little date!

Getting the chair also gave us the push we needed to finish the curtain rods we were making for our big living room window. We have blinds so the curtains were not needed for privacy or blocking light. I just felt the window needed to be framed out. We took a dowel rod, painted it black, and cut it into two 18 inch rods. So easy but we seemed to take a three month break between each step! ?

And there you have it. The newest addition to our house! (And yes, I did write this post reclined in aforementioned comfy chair and periodically taking breaks to gaze out our nicely framed window. ?)

City Girl in the Country

Posted on February 2, 2017August 7, 2019 by Leah

Ahh, the first blog post. What the heck do I say?!

My name is Leah. I grew up in a metropolitan area with skyscrapers, multiple giant shopping malls a few miles away, and had a high school graduating class of 800. I now drive through farmland, passing tractors and Amish buggies alike on my way to work. The closest mall is an hour away. My husband is a preschool teacher where the average class size is maybe 45. While this small-town, country life is interesting enough (do you know how many spiders are in the country?! It’s a terrifying amount…), I actually have other topics I would rather blog about.

My husband and I spent 2015 planning our wedding and general contracting the building of our home (with a blue front door ?). I wanted to blog then to document the madness, but there was no time to spare. So here I am, nearly two years later, ready to show whoever cares all my DIY ideas, homemaking adventures, kitchen exploration, and the surprisingly rather happening area we live in – even if it seems like the middle of nowhere at times. Here goes nothing – and everything! Enjoy!