Rockford the Fireplace

2 posts in 1 day!!! I finally have a few minutes to talk about finishing up the fireplace!! It was no easy task and it made me a little crazy but it look so much better!! Here’s the before:

Such a monstrosity!!!

When we first moved in I really like it. I liked the how the two vents and the actually fireplace looked like a face. (Hence naming it Rockford) but then as my living room started coming together it was looking more and more out of place. We thought about taking the fake rock off and dry walling then tiling or something but that seemed expensive. I think we might eventually do that but for now I already had the paint and decided to just go for it. You can read about the insane task of painting it here.

After I finished painting it. It’s actually more gray then white…

Then as I mentioned before my Step Dad Tommy works in construction and at the time he was building a house way up in the woods! The property owner had a mini mill and was mostly using trees from his property to build the house. I happened to call Tommy at just the right time saying I need a fireplace mantel! I really really need one! At work the next day, talks to the extremely nice homeowner and he trots down to his mill and makes me a mantel! For free!!! I couldn’t believe I was so lucky!

One day while  I was at work Tommy came and cut the rocks and installed the mantel for me! It was a little scary to walk in and see missing rocks but he assusred me he could fix it. After this step there was so much dust! it was nuts how much dust fake rocks make!

After 2 coats of dark mahogany stain

Finally after the rocks were reattached and 5 coats of stain. Excuse the Christmas stockings, this happened awhile ago.

Up close of the wood detail, I wanted it rough looking and grainy

And here's what it looked like last weekend after I added some paper bag hearts for Valentine’s Day:

So much better!!!



Fireplace...

So I finally finished the one of the hardest, most annoying projects ever! I may or may not have hit it with a paint brush. This thing has so many cracks and holes it was hard. Anyways onto the pictures!

Here's the before, I think I might have taken this when we were first viewing the house. Love nacho cheese walls:

 During...

 And after!

 Another one!

 And an up close of the craziness that is fake rocks...

So while I think it's better I don't think it's what I want... I have added some twig branches to it and it's styled a little more then it is in these pictures but it's still off. (I've been trying to take a picture of it but this daylight savings thing is messing up the light in my house, maybe tomorrow when I'm off work) My amazing Step Dad had a mantel made for me so I'm hoping that will be just what he needs. I am so excited to decorate a mantel!

Busy...

I'm not sure when life got so busy! I think it happened when my BFF got engaged... (Two weeks until the wedding!) Or when I had a baby 3 years ago. Anyways since my last post, I've thrown the best Bachelorette party on earth, gone camping, met a super cool new couple friend, worked a lot, played a lot, celebrated some birthdays and painted a huge chalkboard!

I know it's not a new thing around the blog world but it took me forever to talk Ben into letting me paint a wall in our kitchen into a chalkboard. It's been done since last Thursday and we've been having a blast with it.

This is what we started with, I painted the little chalkboard awhile ago and it had a big frame around it. We quickly realized it wasn't enough! When my Dad & Step Mom were here in August they convinced Ben that we needed the whole wall covered!

(Layla loves to see her name written out! She has a thing for "L's" and writes them everywhere!)

I kept a small boarder about it. Here's Layla trying it out. The big mess in the middle is where the little one was.

My first Masterpiece! I have a thing for Palm Trees, reminds me of growing up in CA.

I've also started a little fall decorating that I hope to finish up tonight or tomorrow. And I have plans to paint this dude:  Rockford you are driving me crazy!

(Taken while we were painting the walls I do not miss that nacho cheese color!)

It's not real rock, and I figure if it turns out awful I'll take it off and drywall it! My awesome Step Dad (I got super lucky with step parents) is in the process of making me a mantel! I can not freaking wait!