Bedroom "Rentervation": Sneak Peak

This is just a little teaser for our big weekend project, our bedroom "rentervation".

Back story- When Ben and I moved into our townhouse, we said that we would be here for 3 years, tops. Well due to other circumstances, we are now at 3 1/2 and I have been getting antsy. We always seem to be talking about when we get a house. I have a mile long list of projects for when we move.

When it came to decorating, I wanted our house to feel like a grown up house and not a college apartment. I made sure that our living room, dining room and kitchen felt put together so that I was proud of it when I had people over. My upstairs was another story. Our bedroom and guest room/office were just a hodge podge of college leftovers and family hand-me-downs.

Our downstairs (I have added some things since these pictures were taken)

I hated our bedroom the most, but we were not in a position to replace the furniture. We had a dresser, and side tables that matched, a dresser handed down in Ben's family, and a bed that was just the mattress, box springs and frame that they sat on. I planned on, when we did buy a house, moving our current bedroom furniture into a guest room, so due to a lack of storage options, I had to stick with what we have.

This past Saturday we went into Ikea for nine $2 frames for a kitchen project. We walked amongst the furniture and played the "when we move" game again and it got kind of depressing. When we got to the beds we found one that we loved and started decorating with it in our head. Then we realized that we were both seriously considering this. Long story, short.....we walked out with a bedroom.

We have built the furniture and hung some things on the wall but we are not done. We decided to put a stain over our existing furniture and paint the knobs so that they will better match everything and update them in general. Hopefully that will happen over the next few weeks, so once that is all done, I will post the official before and after pictures. Here are some before pictures though.

After we moved the old bed out.

The bed still in boxes


The bench for the end of the bed


Some of the parts for the bed, on the new rug

Christmas'10/ New Years '11

So I know that it has been a while since I have updated this blog. While I do not think that our life is that interesting right now, others might like to see some pictures of what we are up to. So I am going to try to update it more often, even if it is with stupid things.

Of course we headed back to Knoxville for the holidays. It was a busy 11 days!

Ben and I at my grandparents house on Christmas Eve.

Mom and I on Christmas Eve


The Christmas Tree at Grandma and Grandpa's


The Christmas Tree at Daddy and Bobbie's house


Joe, Leslie and Tim unwrapping their presents on Christmas Day


All us actually managed to get together for the holidays. Here are 9 of us squeezed into the dining room for Christmas dinner.


All of us kids got together and got the parents a Wii. It proved to be more of a family present but we did manage to get Daddy and Bobbie to play.


There was snow falling all day, but it did not begin to stick until that night. Here is what my car looked like when we left my parents house. It was the first white Christmas that I can remember. I loved it!!!


The 26th is the day we normally open presents at my moms house and her birthday. Here is Ally and Ben prepping for present opening.


Due to the snow, she did not want to get out and get stuck so Ben and I ran some errands and got her a cookie cake and pizza for dinner. We all sat down and watched "Inception" including Ally.


On the 27th, we had a get together at my grandparents house because some of my out of town cousins, had come in town. Here is Megan and I catching up since we have not seen each other since May.


Veronica and Katie catching up.


After the family gathering us big girls left and went to take Katie and Veronica for a drink for their 21st birthdays. It was such a weird but neat thing to walk into a bar with these 3 girls whom I have known their whole lives.


On the 28th, Ben and I headed up to Greeneville to see his sister, brother-in-law, niece and parents, who were there visiting. While there we picked up his best friend, Daniel who stayed with us through the rest of the trip. Here is Ben with his mini-me, Annemarie. She actually talked to Uncle Ben! That never happens.


On the 29th, Ben, Daniel, Ally and I went downtown and hung out. We ended up at Sapphire and got drinks. I just thought this picture was nice. At the top is Daniel's Naughty Elf, then Ben's Coal something, and on the bottom my mojito.


For New Year's Eve Ben planned a surprise dinner. It was so much fun and I saw so many friends. I just loved that Ben actually planned something.


Ben's sister, Liz, and her husband Dave


Ben, Daniel, and Dave


Ben and I


On my birthday we hung out with family and then went to dinner at my favorite restaurant, Altruda's. I requested that I not have a grocery store birthday cake so my uncle made me chocolate bar cake. Yummy!


I have been looking forward to my birthday being 1/1/11 for a while so I had to document it somehow.


Unwrapping my birthday presents.


We made breakfast on the 2nd. Here are Daniel and Ben making gravy.


Well that is all from our trip home for the holidays. It seems like a blur. Now it is back to work and back to real life.