Herb Garden Transformation

I'm back! I've been a bit on the busy side lately (catering in Atlanta, social media marketing, writing dessert articles, writing videography proposals, helping at an elementary school, working in the yard, etc.), but I've missed you! So, I thought I would post some transformation pics of the herb garden! Who doesn't like some good "before & after" shots? Exactly.



So... here is the herb garden from last year: mint, sage, and basil.
(Not pictured: parsley and oregano)



Here it is a bit later in the summer... I added some sunflowers that promptly died.
Awesome.

And here it is at the beginning of this Spring.
OMG Weeds.

Whew. No more weeds.
I also added a little mulch... because I only had one bag.
Clever, right?



Then I added a few little guys: basil (it's an annual, so it died at the first freeze), dill, and thyme
(Notice how ginormous the mint has gotten! Yay!)



And then.... there was pine straw. :)

So - there you have it! The above photo is what it looks like at this very moment (I literally took the picture about 8 minutes ago). I'm quite pleased with the transformation and I can't wait until the dill and basil get big enough to actually use them! Stay tuned for more yard updates...

Thanks for looking!

~ Mari

A Very Creative 2 Weeks

There we all are (Andy is on the far left)

What a great 2 weeks it was! I felt so creative and free... twas fabulous. Plus, getting to create art with my adorable mom sitting across from me was wonderful as well.

Here is one of my final creations... as it progressed:

Ta dah! There is my Venetian-inspired piece - complete!

Then I did some wood block prints of women:

This is the last piece I worked on in the class - I carved the stamp myself that I used on the right side of it. :) It feels very Mexican to me - like Mexican tiles or something.


I'm so sad that it's over. :( Especially since I have a bronchial infection now and I can't go hom to Ryan yet. Booooo!

~ Mari

Dining Room :: Before & After

Yeah... our dining room started out as a pretty sad storage area for Ryan's ab-lounge (that he never used....ever.). Then we got a table...



But, it was still lacking, you know, chairs (and a lot of other stuff). So, when my parents came down this past weekend, they brought chairs (thank you Auntie Marilyn & Uncle Michael) and an awesome antique hutch (found in a Port Royal, SC antique store) with them! And here is what mom and I came up with:

Yay! We can eat in there now! :)

See our wedding "guestbook" canvas there on the right? The perfect spot for it! Wahoo!

Ooooo... look inside at all that dish storage! So ridiculously exciting!

Hmmm... that little twig ball looks oddly familiar... could it be because it was my bouquet in my wedding? Indeed it twas! ;)

I'm so happy with how it came out! Thanks for looking!

~ Mari

In the Mood for a Before & After?

I was too. Even though Ryan and I tackled the breakfast room a while back, I realized I never put any photos of the magical transformation on my blog. So, here they are!

Here is our yawner of a breakfast room BEFORE:

And here is the AFTER!

With a few coats of a mustardy-yellow paint, a cute (and very inexpensive) table and chairs from American Signature furniture, and some accessories and such... we turned our breakfast room into a fun place that one might want to devour some delicious creations!

I can't wait to get down there and do some more befor & after-ing! :) Heck... I can't wait to get down there and enjoy the house - period! Not much longer, now... only 24 days! Ahhhh! :)

~ Mari

Guest Room: Before & After

Here was our guest room before. My parents were staying in there before a trip - hence the luggage. The walls were a warm beige... nothing wrong with that, but I wanted something cooler and calming. So, we painted the walls "whitened sage," added some accents (white ceramic creatures, an awesome mirror from pier one, and some thrift store finds), and here is the after:


I think it has a much better feel to it, don't you? Below is a photo of the bed with the mosquito net we added above it. Not sure if you can tell in this photo, but the wall on the left is slightly darker ("sliced cucumber"). I am so pleased with the finished product!