Checking In

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I hope you're all having a great summer. Isn't this tent dreamy? It would be fun to read in there and hide away for a bit, but life is pretty full with young kids at home for the summer. It's hard to hide away. Here are a few photos of our summer so far....

 I played a bit on my camera to get these sparklers to make lines in the air for fourth of July.

I made a flag banner this year by using fabric glue, flags (from Target) and white ribbon.

 A baby shower needs a good cake. I threw a baby shower recently, for a dear friend and made this sweet cake.

 I love cutting fresh greenery and sticking it in some vases to add nature to our home. I planted hydrangeas and lime lights so I can't wait for some blooms (so far I have just a few).

PROGRESS PICTURE

We're still working on the staircase and entry. I'll be showing  you the completed look soon. 

Lighten Up (The Staircase, Part I)

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Basically, I've been a blogging slacker. I'm still here, but have been a bit busy with our girls who are now out of school for summer. I've been staring at a lot of stair images recently (no pun intended). I knew it was time to lighten things up in our entry. I'm drawn to white stair risers and white trim wood work. To me it looks so classic.

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 Our front entry has a great staircase going up and connects to a back stair case that leads to the kitchen. We love it, but are ready for some lightening up and contrast.(Beach towels drying up top give you a clue that we've been at the pool a bit this summer.) 

First, the hubs frog taped the risers for me so that I could get to work. Next up, I sanded the risers.

Once it was sanded and wiped down I put on one coat of Zinzer oil based primer. I let it dry overnight. The oil base primer adheres the best to the wood.

 Off the entry is our dining room where we installed board and batten when we first moved in.  I love how the white looks so clean in here with some architectural detail. This is some good inspiration for the staircase hallway.

 After three coats of white trim paint (semi-gloss) it's looking much brighter.

Next up-  the railings will go black and dramatic. The walls will get some white trim work too. I can't wait to finish the transformation this week.