a cup of color

Everyone I know has thrift store finds that really excite them.  For the first time, I found kitchen items that I couldn't live without.  I absolutely love these little plastic cups. Not as durable as something ceramic, I know, but I picked out a mix-matched set and the colors are adorable. They make my morning cup of coffee an even better pick-me-up!

baby pot pies

I am not much a cook, but I certainly want everything to be cute and pretty.  We have a new tradition with our friends to have a family dinner every couple of weeks.  With fall quickly becoming winter, we decided on chicken pot pie.

World Market really came through for us today. We wanted individual ramekins for each person and they have really cute ones and you get 2 for $2.99!

I love these little guys and since my friend Danielle made every single thing from scratch (including the broth)!  It was just what everyone needed to warm the heart and soul.  Happy cooking!

They were such a hit! I recommend baby pot pies for your next get together.

Cant resist showing you some of the cute pumpkins our friends carved.

my favorite candles

I buy candles so that my whole house will smell great. The saddest part about candle purchasing. Is buying a dud of a candle. You know the one that when you get more that 2 inches away from it you can't smell it, or the one that burns out in it seems like 3 hours. 


I  have both of these candles in my house at all times.  I promise these little guys guys pack a huge punch you will not be sad about this purchase!

Votivo: Teak and Red Current.

    
Paddywax: Rosemary Sage

diamond in the rough

Ever since my friend found a Marc by Marc Jacobs bag at the thrift store, I have tirelessly checked the bags for designers to no avail.  Until yesterday!

There are 2 luggage companies that I always swoon for - Tumi and Hartmann.  If you travel pretty often,  you know how imporatant a great bag is.  My motto is "a compartment for everything."

I initially saw this and thought it was beautiful.  Then I noticed the brand - Dakota Tumi, a division of Tumi inc.  It is a great size for my computer or an overnight bag.  Another plus is that due to it's rugged style, my husband does not mind carrying it. :)

Assignment America

Send me pictures of your favorite room in your house, a cute craft you have made, or a repurposed item. Give me an overview of what you did and I will feature one project or room every friday.  I can't wait to see all of your great ideas! 


Please send them to :: sprigbymia@gmail.com


I also have an update on Talk of Alabama. It will be airing on Thanksgiving Day!! So make your dressing a little early and take a break and watch Doran and I make rugs!!!! I will also have a link to the segment after the show.

shopping at the nursery

Since I started diving into the world of planting, I have learned a ton by trial and even more by error!  

I am scouting out fun things for next spring and here are a few of my favorite things.

I plan on having a "planting plan" and a greenhouse by spring.  I can't wait to have all of these little guys providing yummy smells and bright, gorgeous colors in my yard!

new floor...

Since the day that I moved into my house, I wanted to rip the carpet out that instant!  It was old and gross.  Well...now is the time!  It all started with my dad finding some floor at a garage sale.  From there, we have taken the process room by room.  This section is definitely going to be my favorite because it includes the hallway!  


We started with our bedroom.  The next step was the back bedroom and the hallway at the same time, because they are connected.  I planned the installation of the floors in sections so that we could save up for each section instead of waiting to have it all done at once, especially since we put it in ourselves.


I, of course, would have loved to call some floor guys and install some dark wood floor of my dreams, but that is not in the cards since we are young and on a budget.  When my dad told me that he had found some engineered hardwood (laminate) for $2 a box, I knew it was what I needed to start my journey of ridding my home of old yucky carpet.


The floors that my dad found were Trafficmaster engineered hardwoods from Home Depot. They actually are a very close stain to the original hardwoods on the main floor of our house. Hooray.


What you need.....


- flathead screw driver
- hammer
- simple solutions kit (this is what you need to hammer the planks in without   hurting it)
- plyers
- circular saw (at least, a table saw was would be easier, but we got it done without any fancy equipment)
- jigsaw
- underlayment
- laminate flooring
- quarter round




Here a few tips for installing.....


The prep is the worst!

Taking out the previous floor is less than fun.  Staples, carpet pad, and carpet tacking galore was in store for us before we got to the fun part of installing the new pretty floor.


A side note:  I thought the carpet was bad, but I had no idea what I was in store for when I saw the carpet pad!  Gross does not describe my feeling toward this piece of material.


If you have had pets in your home (like I did, from the previous people that lived here), you can paint the sub floor with kilz to kill germs and smell. I also sprayed Lysol for good measure. :)


I also hate the idea of my house being under contruction for a period of time. Since I knew that we would not have 3 consecutive days to sacrifice I decided to pull up the carpet as we laid down the floor.


My favorite part was cutting in the wood for the doors with the jigsaw.  I had never used one before and I loved it!  It takes a little time and creative thinking on how to measure and cut exactly, but I love a challenge!


Oh!  I forgot to mention the most frustrating part of the whole situation!  The hallway was not the same width.  So annoying.  That means that every board that we cut had to be on a slant for the row closest the wall.

Overall, engineered hardwood is super easy to install.  I recommend it to anyone on a budget.  If you want any advice, you can certainly email me.








A little paint down the hallway and TADA...we are done and I could not be more excited to be carpet free!!!!!!! 

another brick in the wall...

 Everyone has an area in their home that they just haven't gotten around to fixing yet.  One evening while my husband and I were chatting downstairs, our fireplace caught my eye.  Initially it seemed like a tough project to tackle, but I started to think about what I wanted it to look like and realized that I had everything I needed except the masonry screws! 

I decided that I wanted it to look a little worn and one coat of paint turned out to be perfect.  We actually had a  2"x 4" that was used to make the mantle.  I attached it with L brackets, anchors, and masonry screws.  I moved a mirror from upstairs, added some cute plants and candles and... Voila!

 

Part of renewing any space is using items that you already own.  Make a list of the home accessories you have.  Try to group them by style, color, or theme.  I had white paint, little white bowls, and a white mirror.  This continuity gives the room a brand new feel.  Start thinking of things you can rearrange so that you can repurpose and refresh your house with a little time, very little money, and a lot of love!

lovin' lamp goods

This is just a small taste of all the fabulousness that Lamp Goods has to offer. Enjoy!

madjal

There are some secrets that we all love to keep, but I feel that I should share my absolute favorite cooking pot with you. Tada! 

This little guy has cup measurements on the inside, the cutest top, and holes to drain pasta. And because it is from IKEA, it was super cheap. It comes in a few sizes as well. Check it out here: Medjal Pot with Lid. The only sad part is that it's not sold online. So plan to stop by on the your next Atlanta trip. I can promise you will love it as much as I do.  If not, bring it buy my house and I'll buy it from you.  I have been wanting a few more anyway...

moss rock :: progress

I am so excited about collaborating with sweet Morgan Gillespie, of Korora Designs, for an art installation for Moss Rock Festival.  It is an event focused on art, design, and our environment.  Because we love all things repurposed, this seemed like it would be right up our alley.  Our entry is called Flourish, so please come by November 6-7 to see our creation!  In addition to the installation, we will have handmade home accessories available for purchase.  Pictures to come soon...

Also, I cant leave out our little helper, my pup McDouble.  He's the brains behind this operation :)

Featured

I am so excited to tell you that yesterday I filmed a segment on my blog. Talk of Alabama's Doran Helton, the Savvy Mom came to my house. We made rugs and had such a great time. It should be airing within the next few weeks. I will keep you updated, and of course provide the link when it airs.

Hope everyone has a fabulous Thursday!

outdoor shower

I seriously love this the most. Click Here to read all about it!!!

in love with Curbly

I know that everyone reads design sponge but.... just in case you missed this. It is a must see.  Curbly.  I can't wait to start making some of these treats.  

painting the tile

I love that you can fix almost anything with a little paint and some poly.

I have hated this tile since I moved in.  Just like most things, I had this moment where I snapped and could not even handle looking at it any more.  This tile is in our hallway down the stairs and on our front porch (porch post soon.)  I went with, you guessed it...grey!  But this time not because it is my favorite color.  I wanted the floor to look like concrete.  I also kept it satin to try to make it look more like concrete.


My first instinct with anything that I don't like is to paint it.  After the paint, I realized that I love the grout lines and the size of the tile. It ended up putting a focus on the texture of the tile and not so much the color, which to me was really distracting. The paint has certainly refreshed the space and for the price of a can of paint, I feel accomplished.  


There are not many tricks here as far as application. Make sure it is SUPER clean.  Paint it with porch and tile paint.  Oil based works better.  Poly over it.  The more coats the better, especially for high traffic areas.


Before...Yuck!

After...ooo la la!

After with the stairs!!!!