friends – Page 6 – emerald city diaries

my weekend in pictures.

{what a wonderful forecast!}

{i made tea for my grandmother on friday afternoon. she insisted we use real tea cups & saucers.}

{saturday was opening day for boat season. lots & lots of boats out on lake washington.}

{we took a family walk to the ravenna ravine on sunday morning. sadie decided that she wanted a drink of water. & to take a swim.}

{i attended a bridal blessing on sunday afternoon. what a view!}

{the bride-to-be!}

{we spent the afternoon of cinco de mayo at our friend andy & hailey’s house. they have the most perfect lake house.}

{the view of lake washington & mount rainier from their dock.}

{the weather is finally warm enough for me to break out my summer-side of the closet. very exciting!}

{love to start the week with a fresh bouquet of flowers. #thebestpartofspring}

my weekend in pictures.

{sidenote: my weekend update is backwards this week due to my not-so-quick-to-learn the quirks of my new computer.}

{our rhodie is finally starting to bloom – very exciting! it is strange though that it is coming in bright pink because last year it was white… anyone know why?}

{sunday brunch with old & new friends at americana in capital hill.}

{caught up on some glossies this weekend. yep, that is vogue from march. i am a bit behind.}

{yep, painting again. finally finishing up the hallway that i started last weekend.}

{one of two trips this weekend to the lowe’s paint counter. has anyone else tried to match ceiling paint without a really good ceiling sample? fellow homeowners please do us all a favor & leave a sample paint can of the ceiling paint for the next owner.}

{paint samples to figure out what color to paint the hallway. we went with driftwood grey by martha stewart. grey, i know, surprising.}

{on friday night we celebrated my good friend sascha’s thirtieth birthday at bastille in ballard. happy birthday sascha!}

{you can’t come empty handed to a birthday party, right? cupcakes it is!}

this weekend flew by – did it for you too? i don’t understand how monday thru friday often drag on & on, & then saturday & sunday are gone in a blink! we were busy wrapping up a few on-going projects on the house & trying to tackle our ever-growing {out of control} yard. how was your weekend?

my weekend in pictures.

{aaron & i made the snapshot of the day at work with a pic taken from our machu picchu trip.}

{double dinner date at ciccehtti, the sister restaurant to my very favorite serafina.}

{this may have been the best play of the night in a fun round of cards against humanity.}

{we dined at portage bay – one of our favs! – for breakfast this weekend. twice. yep, saturday with aaron’s cousin nathan, his wife kendra, & ben & sarah, & then again sunday with our friend jerry.}

{you may recognize that art from a pillow we used to have. well, after sadie murdered the pillow, i salvaged the art & framed it.}

{saturday night at kenmore lanes with nathan & kendra. it was quite the happening place!}

{back to some painting on sunday afternoon. priming & painting our closet doors that finally made it back up after removing & soaking all of the paint off of the hardware.}

{we needed a pick-me-up to make it through our sunday evening grocery trip. thank you starbucks for being in our qfc store.}

{i love the spring as it means fresh bouquets of flowers in the house every week!}

{aaron surprised me with a subscription to real simple.}

we had a really fun weekend working around the house to finish up a few never-ending projects & also seeing lots of family & friends. aaron’s cousin nathan & his wife kendra were in town & we had such a blast with them on saturday. it is hard to be so far away from family sometimes, but awesome when we can all get together! the rain returned to the emerald city as it normally does this time of year. while we are bummed that the temperatures have dropped, we are hopeful that the continuing rain & showers will help our soon-to-be-planted grass seed fill in our lawn in a few rough places. how was your weekend?

old turned new {an update to our bathroom vanity}.

to start out, i want to give a HUGE shout-out to aaron, my dad, & our friend rhett for making this project work. it wouldn’t have come together so well without all of them, so thank you, thank you, thank you!

as most of you know, we have been itching to get a vanity of some kind into our bathroom since day one. the sink hanging from the wall was just not cutting it as it gave us approximately 2 inches of “counter space” on either side of the sink. given the age of our house, it felt wrong to just buy a brand-new vanity so we i decided we should find an antique piece to convert.

{my favorite bathroom pin via pinterest}

it took a few weeks to scour craigslist in search of the perfect antique piece. at first i searched for dressers, but then switched to sideboards when i decided i would rather have doors than drawers for storage. we were obviously limited in the space we had which was a bit of a challenge when searching for a sideboard, but i also wanted a good wood color as i planned on leaving the wood {& not painting}.

this isn’t really a diy post {even though it was diy’d} as the project was done based specifically on this antique piece & there wasn’t step-by-step photography taken. however, i can give you the general idea of what was done.

supplies:

antique hutch/sideboard/dresser – we found ours on craigslist
countertop with undermount sink {or sink to mount on top} – we found ours at lowe’s* {i can’t find it online, but the brand was allen+roth}
faucet – we found ours on overstock.com {it looks identical to this one from pottery barn}
wood glue, drill, scrap wood pieces, plumbing {p-trap, etc.}

*when we went shopping for countertops to fit over our 19 w x 47 l x 36 h sideboard we immediately assumed that in order to get a top that would have a one inch overhang on all three sides, we would have to custom order something. so we spent a lot of time with the good folks at both home depot & lowe’s pricing out different options for a countertop in everything from marble to granite to hi-mac {which is LG’s new composite product}. we were ready to pull the trigger & spend $700 on a custom white quartz countertop from lowe’s. we went over to price out/buy an undermount sink when we discovered a pre-made quartz countertop with an undermount sink that was one inch bigger than what we were looking for. it wasn’t pure white, but it was only $230! one guess on which one we chose…

before i get into pictures of the process, let’s take a look at the bathroom when we first bought the house.

a few months later, we added a few updates as seen here. the light fixture update here. and then we did the paint update on the bead board & walls.

we also did a fixture update, so here are the original fixtures in the bathroom. none of them were really awful but we didn’t really like any of them & took the opportunity to give them an update as well.

{double towel bar & tp holder // hand towel hooks & glass holder}

aaron started by un-attaching the plumbing & taking the sink off the wall {it was mounted by two all brackets}. then aaron & my dad moved the sideboard up into the space. originally we all thought there would need to be a hole cut to accommodate the undermount sink, but they found out that the top piece was easily removed.

next they placed the countertop onto to sideboard to determine how best to anchor the countertop to the sideboard & the sideboard to the wall, as well as how to stabilize the sideboard in the back.

once the sideboard & countertop were completed {which took an entire weekend!} it was time to re-work the front drawers to accommodate the undermount sink. aaron & my dad took apart one-half of the drawer & rebuilt the inside edge to basically go around the sink. we ended up losing only one-third of the drawer space! {sidenote: we don’t have pictures of the drawers & will update soon!}

& the reveal of our new bathroom vanity! the other bathroom fixtures {tp holder, towel hooks, hand towel ring} are all from the pottery barn mercer collection.

isn’t it lovely? i am still amazed that they were able to take the basic idea of converting an antique piece & coming up with this!

it is big, well huge considering what we started with, & for some may seem too big. it is also tall standing at 37 inches. {we could have done shorter by chopping off the legs, but we wanted to be able to clean under the piece, & perhaps add storage baskets. also, my mom & dad’s house has tall counters in all of the bathrooms so that is what i grew up with.} despite the large contrast in size from before to after, we are really happy with the piece, the counterspace, & the storage. it is exactly what we wanted.

we are loving the color of the piece & are so glad we didn’t/don’t have to paint it. the richness of the wood is great in contrast to the bright white of the counter & bead board as well as the dark wall color – don’t you think? it just needs a little oil, some storage organizers underneath & we are good to go. {sidenote: we plan on also updating the toilet & bath to be white, but are still saving up! also we plan on taking out the old medicine cabinet & replacing it with a big mirror. we are undecided on the glass shelves.}

what do you think about converting antiques into bathroom vanities {or kitchen islands or entertainment centers}?

my weekend in pictures.

{my building’s cafeteria closed but there is always a food truck around. i got to enjoy a yummy meal while enjoying the sunshine!}

{hung out in post alley at pike place market on friday to celebrate my friend miriam’s birthday.}

{we saw an improv comedy show the pretty wonderful club. it was based on the john hughes 80’s high school movies. so fun!}

{yes, that is a gum wall behind me. post alley is filled with gum. it is a disgusting tradition, but you pretty much have to participate if you are there.}

{sadie & i patiently waited outside for aaron to get us lattes on saturday morning.}

{when it is sunny outside, which it was ALL weekend!, everyone in seattle washes their car. including us.}

{we went “car shopping” this weekend just to look & ended up buying a new car. this is the final picture of us with jez, our old jetta. bye bye jez, it was a great 9 years!}

{bluetooth in cars is awesome!}

{got a new coffee table book by the one & only kate spade, my fav. can’t wait to flip thru it for some inspiration!}

{happy easter sadie! yes, that dog toy has bunny ears.}

{good morning new jetta sportswagen! i haven’t had it long enough to give it an official name – any suggestions? we are thinking something german perhaps. what, you don’t name your cars?}

{making sure the new bathroom hardware is level.}

{had to paint a few touchup spots on the bathroom walls where old hardware came down. i think our latest bathroom project is nearly finished & i am hoping to be able to share it later in the week!}

we had a wonderfully sunny weekend, busy but fun. our weather was spectacular, especially for seattle in the early spring, & we were even wearing shorts to work around the house & in the yard this afternoon. we often get a burst of very early spring weather that gets everyone a little hopeful (& nervous for a very hot summer) but inevitably we will be back to normal cool spring weather. also, we accidently bought a car this weekend. i say accidently because we were really just going to look at cars on saturday. it was our first day out looking & there were a few types & models that were in the running, but next thing you know, we were buying a new jetta. we opted for the sportswagen because, you know, we could use the space for the constant lowe’s & home depot runs/sadie/future babes/etc. but the real reason why we bought the sportswagen was because of the full sunroof which is amazing! we had a great easter weekend – how was your weekend?

my weekend in pictures.

{on the second day of spring we got snow after not getting snow the entire winter. #crazyseattlespringweather}

{aaron, my dad, & our friend rhett were working on a house project. it may or may not have been something in the bathroom.}

{my mom helped with some tending to the yard including planting these beauts around our front tree!}

{happy birthday mom!}

{there is nothing like fresh eggs. even for $7 a dozen. chicken ownership, here we come!}

{my mom & i went to the best of the northwest art show at pier 91. she bought the cutest mouse sculpture that i failed to get a picture of. #badblogger}

{i finally pulled the trigger on some fabric for an upcoming diy project.}

{obviously} my mom & dad were in town this weekend. they were gracious enough to help us out with some work & projects around the house. we started with snow on friday, but saturday, sunday, & even today are beautiful sunny days {though not to be confused with warm!}. how was your weekend?

diy framed key.

i mentioned in my weekend update that amanda & i had a crafternoon on sunday. we decided to make a simple project, but it was fun & i am super happy with the result. this is a project you could do with just one key {like i did with our first house key – yep, just the one house} or with multiple keys {like amanda did with keys from both her first & current house}.

{original pinterest link here}

supplies:

frame – i got mine at michaels & painted it a champagne gold
house key – i painted mine with acrylic paint
map of where you live, text page, scrapbook page, or some kind of background
glue or adhesive

the how-to is pretty self-explanatory, but here you go:

1. paint frame & key.

2. cut out map – i off-centered where we live so that the key was in the middle of the frame & our house is to the right of it a bit. i also got lucky & captured our neighborhood name – ravenna – in the bottom right corner.

3. glue map to cardboard backing {the one that comes with the frame}.

4. glue key to map.

5. close up the frame.

do you keep all of your old house keys? {i sorta wish i had so i could do something a la YHL} have you ever thought of painting them & framing them?

my weekend in pictures.

{aaron matches our chipotle to-go.}

{this is the result of one afternoon with sadie given a nearly indestructible toy with an everlasting treat. #thatisanexpensivehabit}

{perrier & clams. i am a happy girl!}

{nothing tastes better than farm fresh eggs.}

{painting in preparation for a sunday afternoon crafternoon with amanda.}

{seattle was sunny on sunday & everyone enjoyed it, especially sadie.}

{i got to hang out with this cutie, madeleine, while her mom & dad went out on a date.}

we had a busy weekend & definitely enjoyed the spring weather – both sun & rain! not a lot to report, but prepping the to-do list for my parents who will be visiting from idaho next weekend. how was your weekend?

my weekend in pictures.

{loving my new weekend planner from the new kate spade saturday line via fab.}

{friday afternoon i got a much-needed manicure. it was lovely!}

{friday night dinner date at rain city burgers followed by a movie at home. perfect night.}

{saturday morning family walk in the sunshine! we also rescued some amazing vintage glass door knobs from a remodel down the street – very exciting!}

{nothing beats chinese takeout!}

{there was some ceiling patching being done this weekend. pretty soon you will never know there were three dining room pendants.}

{i attended a bridesmaids’ afternoon tea at the queen mary tea room in honor of the bride-to-be mary alice.}

{fish tacos at the matador with my grandmother.}

{we switched up the usual movie after sunday night dinner to go to target. it was my grandmother’s first trip. ever. she kept saying “they sell everything here!” it was awesome.}

we had a fun weekend & had some good down time as well as being able to catch up with some old friends. though we are still missing the lost hour from springing forward, we are definitely looking forward to the spring! how was your weekend?

my weekend in pictures.

{the water cans at work were inspirational on friday.}

{we attended a friend’s 30th birthday bash with our friend andy. there was a photobooth with lips & mustaches.}

{& apparently also bunny ears.}

{we had a wonderful morning breakfast at one of our favorite spots – portage bay café – with a couple old friends!}

{my friend mary & i tried our hand at baking french macarons on saturday night. they were a success!}

{started a little spring cleaning with the closets this weekend.}

{remember our budding bulbs from two weeks ago here? well these are they! yay for spring bulbs in early march.}

{this little gal spent the entire day sunning herself in the front window. it was a gorgeous crisp, sunny day in the emerald city!}

{dinner & a movie with my grandmother. we finally saw argo & though i was worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype, it was so, so good!}

we had a good but busy weekend. we caught up with some old friends & got a few new projects planned for the house. it was wonderful to have a sunny sunday to enjoy which i started with some much-needed vinyasa flow yoga (from which i will be very sore tomorrow!) & ended in the company of my wonderful husband & grandmother – can’t beat that! how was your weekend?