A Bath Restoration and Renovation for the Historic Tyson-Stedham House: Welcome to the 132nd Metamorphosis Monday!

Happy Metamorphosis Monday! For this Met Monday, I'm excited to share another fabulous update for historic Tyson-Stedham home in Adel, Georgia.  Dustin, owner of Van de Fleet Designs and Restoration has been bringing this 1912 Arts and Crafts bungalow back to life over the past few months. (If you're new to this ongoing restoration, you'll find links to all the pasts posts following this amazing restoration from start to finish, at the end of this post.)

Here's how this home looked before Dustin began the restoration...it was in rough shape with peeling paint, mis-guided additions, and multiple roof-overs.  Over the years, it had been sadly neglected inside and out.

Dustin and his crew have come a long way with the restoration of this soon to be 100 year-old treasure.  The past few weeks they have been hard at work restoring and renovating what was once an old sewing room in the Tyson-Stedham home.  Prior owners had converted the space into a walk-in closet and in the process, they had boarded up a window and cut a doorway to the back porch.

I'll let Dustin take you through the restoration process...take it away, Dustin.

The sewing room was the heart of the home back in 1912 and it was so important that it earned its own specific room with a full window. This room was where the lady of the house would make clothing, bedding, table cloths, and knit.  Other then the kitchen, this room made the house run.

The room was a mess and we had to demolish all of its original plaster as it was in too poor of condition to repair.

After this we took out all the door and window trim in the room, cleaned up the massive mess and prepared for the historic transformation from sewing room to a bathroom.
Click HERE to continue reading...

It's Complicated: A Movie House Tour

Tour the Home in the Movie, It's Complicated

It's been almost two years now, but I still remember how excited I was when I heard another movie written and directed by the talented Nancy Meyers was about to be released.  It's Complicated was released in December 2009 and since I'm a self-confessed movie house junkie, I wondered if another amazing house would be "starring" in this movie, too.  Nancy Meyers has the amazing ability to turn the sets/houses in her movies into full-fledged characters, just as she did with the darling English cottage in The Holiday, the beach house in Something's Gotta Give and the stately Colonial in Father of the Bride.

In an interview with Indiewire, Ms. Meyers described the house in It's Complicated as "an extension of character."  It's so true; often the houses in the movies written and directed by Nancy Meyers deserve top billing along with the stars.  They bring so much to the movie, establishing the mood and atmosphere that permeates the entire movie from start to finish.

Synopsis:
It's Complicated is a movie about a couple who were married 20+ years and have been divorced for 10.  Jane, played by Meryl Streep, owns her own bakery and Jake, played by Alec Baldwin, is a successful attorney.  In the movie, Jake has married a much younger woman, Agness, with whom he had an affair.  Agness is interested in having more children, in addition to the child she already has who was the result of a brief romance she participated in when she and Jake were temporarily split up.  Did ya follow all that? lol  It's a soap opera life.

During the movie, Jane and Jake find themselves back together again at their son, Luke's graduation and before you know it, they are having an affair.  Jane now finds herself in the role of the mistress to her ex-husband.  She is now cheating with her ex-husband on the woman who broke up their marriage.  Yep, it is definitely complicated.

The story is told with  humor and when asked what "genre" the movie falls in, Nancy Meyers called it a "Relationship Comedy."  The three children of Jane and Jake are played by Hunter Parrish as Luke, Zoe Kazan as Gabby and Caitlin Fitzgerald as Lauren.  Lauren's fiancé Harley, is played by John Krasinski who I read had a small role in another Nancy Meyers film, The Holiday.  There's a great article about the movie and how the cast was chosen HERE.

Exterior:
Now, let's get to the good part...the tour!   Seventy percent of the movie takes place in a beautiful Spanish style (Mediterranean) home in Thousand Oaks, California, although, in the movie, the house is supposed to be in Santa Barbara.

As is so often the case with movie houses, only the exterior shown in the movie was that of a real house.  The home is located at 714 West Potrero Road, Thousand Oaks, CA.  All the interior scenes were filmed on set in New York.

Don't be disappointed, though.  You can take heart in knowing that Ms. Meyers did use the interior of this home as inspiration for the layout of the set in It's Complicated.  She wanted the interior scenes to make sense in relation to how the real house appears on the exterior in the movie.  This pic below shows how the exterior of the home looks in the movie.  In this scene, Jane and Jake's youngest daughter, Gabby, is leaving the nest, heading off to college.  A pretty important scene takes place on the tree swing toward the end of the movie.

Another view of the exterior of the home in the movie.  Behind the gated area on the left is an interesting courtyard where another scene takes place.  You'll see that area in just a sec.
Click HERE to continue reading...

A "Something's Gotta Give" Table

So many beautiful table settings posted for yesterday's Tablescape Thursday! If you haven't had a chance, yet, you'll want to scroll down or click HERE to view them. So much inspiration!

The Tale of a Table

Not so very long ago, I was a woman on a mission.  My sewing room/craft room/office  (Sewcroff) was gradually moving closer to being completed.

But I still needed a small chest to go along side the chair in my little reading corner.

Click HERE to continue reading...

Dreaming of the Beach: Welcome to the 153rd Tablescape Thursday!

I must be craving a beach trip because it seems whenever I plan a tablescape lately, it always ends up being a beach themed table. :)  I started off this tablescape with white flatware...

But I decided to change to blue...
Click HERE to continue reading...

Jan's Beautiful Bottle Tree

A while back I shared some images of a bottle tree I had purchased at the Ballard Designs store in Atlanta.  It was on sale, marked down from $349 to $60.

I've gradually been adding a few bottles to it, including the glass float ball you see on the top. It's still a bit naked...a work in progress. :)
Click HERE to continue reading...

A Few Changes in the Office: Welcome to the 131st Metamorphosis Monday!

Happy Met Monday! Hope your weekend has been a fun one!  I don't have a dramatic Before and After for this Met Monday, but I do have some fun little changes I can't wait to share.  But before I show you what I've been working on...


A Few Mini-Mets for this Metamorphosis Monday:

A Naked Porch:
Recently,  I blogged about having the house and porch pressure washed, HERE. The company I used was awesome and their owner Wesley asked me to remove the sheers from the porch just to make sure they didn't get dirty during the cleaning process.  I haven't had a chance to hang them back up just yet, so I thought I'd share how it looks with them down.  I always enjoy having them down for a little while...makes the porch feel more open on these hot, muggy days.  Something tells me they will be going back up again before too long. In the meantime, change is good. :)

I also put away the patriotic decor you saw, HERE.  I loved the look but I was missing the serenity of the soft greens.  The red, white and blue will be back for our next patriotic holiday. :)

 A Few Small Changes in My Office/Craft/Sewing Room:

You know, I think we need to invent a new word for a room that functions as an Office, a Craft Room and a Sewing Room. Maybe that's what folks call a Studio.  If not, what should we call it? How about a Sewcroff? Or, a Croffsew?  I think I like Sewcroff better. ;)

Okay, I just looked up the definition of a studio and that won't work because a studio is "a room where an artist, photographer, sculptor, etc... works."   If you stretched that a bit, you might be able to squeeze crafting and sewing room into that definition...but a home office?  Ummm, just doesn't fit.

So, where was I?  Oh, yes...I made a couple of wee changes in the Sewcroff this week.

Click HERE to continue reading...

So Much for Hot Seed

Apparently, Mr. Squirrel likes his seed on the spicy side.

He keeps coming back for more and he brings his friends!  Can you see where he's chewed on the window feeder?  He gets mad after he's twisted it so much the seed quits coming,  Yep, he's got quite the temper.  The chewed up spots are really bad in some places. Grrrrrr...

Don't let that cute face fool you.  You won't believe all the damage he's done to my outdoor wicker and the lights I had strung on the pergola and the deck.  When the feeders that hang from the deck are taken in at night or they aren't put back out early enough in the morning, he takes out his revenge on the outdoor wicker under the pergola.
Click HERE to continue reading...

Home Tour: Historic Home Built in 1850

Before I discovered blogs, one of my favorite guilty pleasures was visiting real estate sites with listings of beautiful historic homes for sale.  Nothing like taking a wonderful home tour while sitting in the comfort of your own home.  A great site that showcases historic homes is OldHousesdotcom. Recently, I followed a link on their site and it led me to this beautiful home in Palmetto, Georgia.

This home sits on 16.73 acres and the interior appears to be professionally decorated with the furnishings valued at $500,000.  So let's take a tour! :)
Click HERE to continue reading...

A Pantry Restoration

Over the last few months, I've been posting about the amazing restoration of Historic Stedham House by Dustin, owner of Van de Fleet Designs and Restorations.  

Dustin knows all about historic homes, having restored several over the years, including this beauty he purchased during his college days. 

Dustin currently lives in this gorgeous historic 1912 home (below) and he has worked hard returning it to its original state, as well. 

Click HERE to continue reading...

A Ladies Breakfast, Royal Copenhagen: Welcome to the 152nd Tablescape Thursday!

Earlier in the spring, Cornelia had a ladies breakfast in her beautiful home in Switzerland.  

It was near Easter and she created a gorgeous table setting for the event.

Cornelia said, "I had an Invitation this morning.   I invited 5 ladies for breakfast and had a Royal Copenhagen, Musselmalet tablescape. "
Click HERE to continue reading...

Pressure Washing the House and Porch

On your last visit to the porch, it looked like this...

All decorated for the 4th. :)

Today it looks like this...
Click HERE to continue reading...

Adorable Cottage Gets a Wonderful Update

I have a soft spot in my heart for cottages, especially cute little Cape Cods. Southern Living recently showcased this lovely home (located in Atlanta) on their website.  Here's how the exterior looked prior to being purchased by its current owners.

Check it out now!  You can see they really stayed true to the character of the home.  The porch overhang looks like it was beefed up just a bit...looks so much better, doesn't it?  I LOVE the cedar shingle roof.  It adds so much to the curb appeal of this home.  As much as I love a cute Cape Cod painted white, I have to admit, the darker color gave this home a much more sophisticated, elegant look.  Do you like the new color or do you prefer a lighter color for a Cape Cod?

One of the smaller changes made that really had a pretty big impact on the exterior appearance, were the little shutters added to the dormer windows.
Click HERE to continue reading...

Bath Renovation: Ordinary Becomes Sleek and Sophisticated! Welcome to the 130th Metamorphosis Monday!

Recently, my friend Mary completed a full renovation of her master bath. It was an amazing transformation! Mary totally cracked me up when she described her bath in an e-mail to me. She said, "First, it is not a spa, it is more like a Muggle Telephone Booth that takes you to the Ministry of Magic. Do we have any Harry Potter fans out there? :)

Mary's bath, BEFORE:

Mary's home was built in 1980, before the era of really big bathrooms. But Mary doesn't see having a small bathroom as a negative.

Click HERE to continue reading...

Growing Young, Life After Retirement

So this is what really goes on when you retire? Who knew???

If you enjoy this, please share on FB, Twitter and with friends. Let's help them get a million hits on YouTube! :)

I loved the prune juice cocktails. :)

There's a "hidden" scene at the end...don't miss it!

(Click on the four tiny arrows in the lower right corner to watch in full screen. Hit escape when finished.)



Interview on America Live, Click HERE

Pssst:  I posted a yummy salad recipe yesterday along with a recipe for an awesome Pomegranate punch.  Just scroll down for the post.

Summertime Salad: Arugula with a Fresh Berry Dressing

Happens every time. Yep, I'm a rule breaker...a real rebel. ;) (hee, hee)  Okay, technically when you have friends over for dinner or a party, you are NOT supposed to try out a new dish/recipe you've never made before. I guess that's in case it doesn't turn out right or you just don't like it.

But, wouldn't ya know, that's when I always get in the mood to experiment and try something different...not the same old, same old.   So far, it's never come back to bite me in the tush...always seems to turn out fine. In fact, I don't know what it is, but sometimes a dish seems to turn out its best, the very first time I make it. Does that ever happen to you? Maybe we try harder the first time, following the recipe to the nth degree.

For our little 4th of July bash, I decided to pull out one of those millions (slight exaggeration) of recipes I've torn out of magazines over the years. I wanted to make a green salad for our cookout and the one I'm sharing today sounded just right.

The Menu:
Several folks have asked what the menu was for the party. It was very much a causal event...just a fun cookout with friends. I kept it very basic, very simple. We had hamburgers and hotdogs off the grill.
Click HERE to continue reading...

Coastal Summer Table Setting: Welcome to the 151st Tablescape Thursday!

Though the porch is still decorated in red, white and blue for it's 4th of July makeover, the heat here in Georgia has me dreaming of sandy white beaches.

Recently, I ran across these bright spring-green glasses in Old Time Pottery. I love this color green. I guess you could call it chartreuse. 

Click HERE to continue reading...

What Would You Do? Two Situations, Two Polls

You're a guest at a large dinner party. During the party, nature calls, and you make a little trip to the powder room. As you finish washing your hands, you look around for a towel to dry them and this is what you see:



Elegant, starched, monogrammed, linen hand towels
Click HERE to continue reading...

How to Make a Pottery Barn Inspired Flag! Welcome to the 129th Metamorphosis Monday!

Whenever the Pottery Barn catalog shows up in my mailbox, I know I'm going to be inspired. There's almost always something in there that grabs my attention and gets those creaky wheels in the brain turning. The challenge is always how to get "the look" without the cost. Right? :)

One of my last Pottery Barn inspired projects was Christmas garland for the columns of my front porch. (You'll find the full tutorial for the Pottery Barn Christmas Garland hack, HERE.)

Recently, I decided to do a complete a make-over of my screened-in porch for the 4th of July.

I had seen an awesome flag in a Pottery Barn catalog but the $129 price tag was way more than I wanted to spend. Also, the PB flag was 50" x 27", too large for what I had in mind. (Doesn't that light fixture look like a giant spider?)

So, what to do? I decided to try making my own. Before heading off to The Home Depot for supplies, I measured the area where I wanted to display the flag. I envisioned hanging it above the hutch for my 4th of July porch redo, replacing the large platter that normally lives there.
Click HERE to continue reading...

Father of the Bride Movie House Tour

Tour the Home in the Movie, Father of the Bride

Recently, we took a tour of some beautiful neighborhoods and homes in the south. This house, located not far from my home, was included in that tour. Each time I drive by it, I'm always reminded of a famous movie home we all know and love. Do you know the one I'm thinking about?

Yep, it's this one! Recognize it? It's the house from the movie, Father of the Bride. I'm happy to say this much-loved movie house is a real house and not a just a movie set. :) So nice when that happens! I hadn't realized it, but Father of the Bride is actually a remake of a 1950 Spencer Tracey classic by the same name. Did you know that?

What is it about this house that captures our hearts? It just says home, doesn't it? I love the white picket fence, the vines/flowers growing up the front and the cute dormers lined up along the top.

Add caption

Many years ago, I read an article in a magazine where they interviewed a young couple who bought this house in real life when it became available a few years after the making of the movie. They had some pretty wild stories to tell about folks walking right up to their door, ringing the bell and asking for a tour. One of the things they said that really stuck with me was that some of what we saw in the movie was constructed just for the movie, like the white picket fence.

Click HERE to continue reading...

Welcome to the 150th Tablescape Thursday!

Can you believe it...150 Tablescape Thursdays! Wow! The time has gone by so quickly! Things have changed quite a bit since that first tablescape party on August 25, 2008. There are so many more participants now, which is wonderful! Linking up is easy and you get a little sneak preview of the post, thanks to Inlinkz. The photographs of our tablescapes have improved tremendously...you feel like you're sitting there at the table sometimes! You amaze me with your gorgeous photos and creativity!



The Beginning:
Have you ever wondered how Tablescape Thursday got started? It really goes all the way back to my days of posting the occasional tablescape on the HGTV website, "Rate My Space." When I posted that first tablescape on RMS, I was a little worried, wondering if I was "breaking any rules."

Click HERE to continue reading...

Yummy Peach Trifle, An Awesome Summertime Dessert

One of my favorite desserts for this time of year is a trifle made with fresh Georgia peaches. Georgia is the "peach" state so you just can't get much better than a yummy peach trifle for a summer party on the porch.

This dessert is super easy to make and is loosely based on one I tore out of a magazine many years ago. The recipe didn't make enough for the huge trifle dish I have and I wanted it to have a richer taste, so, I increased the amount of the ingredients and "doctored" it up a bit.
Click HERE to continue reading...

Party on the Titanic

If this is your first visit to this blog, skip this post now...quickly...before you change your mind and never come back. ;) Pictures in this post may have you running away, never to return.

Max had a big day yesterday. He partied hard, as you can see.

In the spirit of keeping it real, (are you tired of that phrase yet?) here's how my kitchen looks today after running the dishwasher once and a good bit of hand-washing and "putting-up."

Click HERE to continue reading...

Patriotic Porch for the 4th of July! Welcome to the 128th Metamorphosis Monday!

Happy Independence Day weekend! Hope your weekend has been going great! I'm having a little cookout tomorrow so I've been busy with preparations. Did you already have your 4th of July celebration or will you be celebrating tomorrow?

I'm excited to share big changes I've made out on the porch over the last week. I've been busting to decorate the porch in a patriotic vibe for the 4th of July ever since the porch was first added to my home 3-4 years ago. I wanted to do it in a budget friendly manner and up until this year, I hadn't been able to find what I needed to stay within the budget I had planned. This summer the stars all aligned (figuratively and literally) and the porch got a make-over for the holiday.

Hope you enjoy this transformation of the porch in celebration of Independence Day.

The Before:

AFTER:

Happy Independence Day!

This porch metamorphosis was done on a budget--total cost was just $155.00 for the complete transformation. Not too bad for a whole room redo. I'll break it down for you as we move through the changes.

Remember that little sewing project I mentioned I was working on? I made red covers for the pillows that are always on the swing throughout the summer months.

The blue and white spatterware pitcher was pulled from the upstairs family room. I filled it with big, beautiful sunflowers. This pitcher is very old so it leaks. I'll share the sneaky way I used if for the sunflowers in another post. Update: Shared how I used sunflowers in this vintage pitcher here.

Sunflowers were only $6 for the whole bunch from Harry's Farmer's Market.

Found the needlepoint flag pillow a couple of months back on eBay for $14.

Remember when I posted about making blue and white striped cording HERE? Now you know where it ended up. ;) I used the pillows that live on the swing during the summer, and just sewed new red covers. Only cost was for the fabric and the raw cording.

The red, white and blue patch-work pillows in the white wicker chairs are what really inspired and kicked off this porch transformation. I had a gift certificate for HomeGoods and when I spotted those pillows in the spring, I just loved them and knew I had the starting point for my 4th of July porch. (Tutorial for the patriotic "sundae" by the lamp is, HERE.)

I really lucked out on the white seat cushions for the swing and settee. When I bought those exact same cushions in green for the porch 3-4 years ago, I thought I did really well finding them on sale for $40 each at Pier 1. They are normally $60 each. They are heavy, super comfortable and beautifully made with a great fabric that isn't scratchy feeling like most outdoor cushions. I really like how they are tailored and finished with cording.

This year, after finding the patch-work pillows at HomeGoods, I came across the white cushions at Pier 1 and they were marked down from $60 to $15 each! I couldn't believe it! Even the sales clerk was shocked when she rang them up. She looked at me and asked, "$15???" I smiled and said, "Yep." That's when I knew the porch metamorphosis was definitely on for this year!

I already had the large striped pillows. They are the same ones I use on the swing in the fall, but just turned around to show the other side. The small red pillow is from Garden Ridge and was $6. I already had the needlepoint pillow with the harbor/patriotic scene...snagged it from the window seat in the upstairs family room.

I paid more for the smaller red chair cushions than I did the big white ones from Pier 1. They were the only solid red ones I could find and were $19 each from Garden Ridge.

I love how the sunflowers look surrounded in a sea of red, white and blue. The other plants are from the deck. The red geranium that normally lives on the shabby, white chair wasn't blooming. Fortunately, another one I had that is a deeper burgundy-ish red was blooming. The lanterns you see scattered around on the porch came from Old Time Pottery a year or two back. You may remember when I used them in 4th of July table setting.

I challenged myself to keep the color scheme on the porch strictly red, white and blue. The only items on the porch that are not in the red/white/blue color scheme are the sunflowers and the hutch. And y'all, I'm just not repainting that hutch for the weekend. ;)  (You'll find pics and info about the original painting of the hutch HERE.

Plate is from Hobby Lobby and was 50% off. I actually bought it earlier in the season before I knew I'd be re-doing the porch.

Stars were added to the Summer Breeze sign that's always on the porch. You can find a sign just like this by Googling "Summer Breeze Makes Me Feel Fine Sign." I found mine years ago at A Classy Flea, a local antique/thrift store.

This tablescape is a blend of two previous tablescapes posted for different Tablescape Thursdays HERE and HERE. You'll find the tutorial for the patriotic napkin rings, HERE.




Yesterday, I constructed the flag out of wood "sign" stakes from the Home Depot. A bundle was only $5.98. I painted the flag with acrylic paint from Michael's. I'm not sure yet if I'm going to "age" it, or leave it, as is. I wanted to let the paint cure before I did anything. I was inspired by a flag I saw in the Pottery Barn catalog for $129.

Mine isn't as big as the PB one, but it only cost $14 to make. Well, $14 and a whole days worth of labor.  Totally worth it, though.

The hutch was decked out with the china I used in this patriotic tablescape.

The little teddy bear was one of my son's when he was small. I couldn't resist adding him to the porch since he is dressed for the holiday.

I'll be happy to post a tutorial showing how I made the flag, if anyone is interested. Just leave a comment letting me know if that is something you would like to see. I took pics during the making of it in case it was something you would be interested in. Update:  You'll find the flag making tutorial HERE.

The large star on the wall near the swing came from Garden Ridge and was $20. Actually it was a little less than that but I'm rounding all the prices up for simplicity.

Another view

An evening view...

A little candlelight...

Hope you enjoyed this patriotic porch metamorphosis.

The budget breakdown:

White seat cushions for swing and sette: Pier 1, $30 ($15 each)
Red seat cushions in chairs: Garden Ridge, $40($20 each)
Needlepoint "flag" pillow on swing: eBay, $14
Large red pillows on swing: Sewed new covers, $12
Multicolored pillows on chairs: HomeGoods, Free with Gift Certificate
Small red pillow on settee: Garden Ridge $6
Needlepoint "harbor scene" pillow on sette: already had in upstairs family room
Lanterns: Old Time Pottery, already had
Large Star on wall: Garden Ridge, $20
Small stars on Summer Breeze sign: Michaels, $3 for both at 50% off
Wood flag above hutch:  Made on Saturday with sign stakes, $14
Large plate on oval wicker table: Hobby Lobby, $10 at 50% off
China on table: (Already had) Click HERE and HERE for details
Flowers: Harry's Farmer's Market, $6
China and decorations on hutch and table: Already had
Total spent: $155

Looking forward to seeing what you've been up to this week!



Metamorphosis Monday:
If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday you will need to link up the permalink to your MM post and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top of your blog, into the "url" box for InLinkz.

If you'd like to include the MM button in your post, just copy and paste the Met Monday button to your computer or grab the html code from underneath the MM logo under the "Join a Blog Party" header at the top of this blog.

In order to link up, you'll need to include a link in your MM post back to the host blog, Between Naps on the Porch so your regular readers will be able to find the Met Monday party which ensures your friends and fellow bloggers will receive lots of visits, too.

PLEASE DO NOT type in all caps...it spreads the links waaaay out. Thanks! :-)

Let's try something fun today! Please visit the person who linked before you and after you...that way everyone will get some visits. Hope you'll visit more, of course.


Welcome! Thanks for coming to the party!