I'm a G.R.I.T.S.

Yes, I'm a GRITS- a girl raised in the south. For those of you who have never heard that expression, walk in any Cracker Barrel south of Virginia and you'll see shirts and hats plastered with the word GRITS. Anyways, I thought I'd share a little bit of home with you, except it's not my home- it's my mom's. A lot of you ask how I got into this business, and really when I think about it, it stems down to her. She always had our house completely decorated, with the times, and with a bit of her own spunk added. Today, my parents live the retired life in a condo in Jacksonville, Fl, where I'm originally from. Their condo, as my mom likes to put it, is "Tommy Bahama". Here are some pictures I took while I was visiting a couple weeks ago. That darn sunshine got in almost every picture, so I had my dad text me some more. Enjoy!

The Great Room.
See that glass coffee table? That was my grandpa's. He had good taste, huh? 

I think computer table's are adorable in living rooms.
This one's tucked away next to the sofa.

The Lanai. Practically another room in Florida. My mom even had it carpeted, and then layered the outdoor carpet with an animal print runner. There's a huge stone fountain off to the right for some feng shui. 

The Sunny Galley Kitchen.  

Breakfast Nook.

Dining Room. 

No dining room's complete
 without a bar cart! 

"My" Bedroom

Master Bedroom.
Complete with a beautiful view of the pond, and pet alligator- it is Florida, after all. 

Thanks for letting me post about your house, Mom & Dad. 

xoxo

Painting Frenzy

I've gone on a painting frenzy. I guess I just believe in the power of paint. I've had this bookshelf FOR-EV-ER and apparently nobody liked it.

So a few days ago, I took a brush to it, and out came this: 

I know, I know, it barely looks like the same piece. But, alas, it SOLD. Whohoo!!! He found a home. 

Want to see other things I've painted? Well here's a dresser. Not only did it get a paint job, but it also got some new knobs. 

Here are two pieces that I'm toying with the idea of painting:

I know it's a cool piece as is, but wouldn't it be awesome in POPPY? 

I'm so tempted to paint the drawers a fresh white. It'll look clean & modern and really make those neat handles stick out. What do you think?

More Patience Please

Have you ever tried teaching a one and a half year old patience? It's pretty difficult. Especially in a store setting where mama's busy helping someone and waiting is just not an option for a little one. Some of you have experienced these meltdowns from your own little ones. Some of you might have experienced one from mine, too. Well, I've finally decided to make the switch real this time. November 29th is our move out date. Whether someone else is moving in or not, we're gone. If you're just joining me on this blog, welcome. Sorry for any confusion. We're currently a store in Squirrel Hill, but soon to be moving to our new location in Wilkinsburg (see postcard below). Once there, we'll have everything posted online, and you can pick a time that's convenient for you to come and view it. 

Actual Postcard

Let's recap and look at the progress that's been made. We still have quite a ways to go, but I'm confident it'll be gorgeous come December. 

Rotten wood from the ceilings and basement

Back in the demolition days

A lot of plaster work on the ceiling. Fresh paint on the window trim and columns.

The basement's been rid of mold, dry-locked, and looks ten times better. We've put in and repainted a bathroom (yay for using leftover tiles from an old house renovation we did years ago!). More pictures to come. 

The ceilings have no more holes in them. I attacked the ugly gold columns the other day with fresh white primer. Next on the list, a painting party where we completely say goodbye to the gold and purple on the beams and say hello to more soothing colors. I choose Garden Sage from the Amazon Recyclable paint selection they sell at Construction Junction. Side note: I used this paint to redo a bathroom in the icy blue color and after adding a bit of white to the paint I loved the color and how well it applied to the walls.   

Some of you have seen things in the church pictures you've wanted to see in person...if that's you, feel free to make an appointment to see them. 

Until then, our store in Sq. Hill is up and running as usual. We have lots of great dining room/ kitchen  sets in just in time for the holidays. 

Thanks for being patient with me through all this talk of moving. I'm excited to see this store go through its next stage of life, and I think it'll allow for more creative, authentic pieces to be produced on my end. See you soon. 

love,

Redesignation