M/I Homes Nicholas Model

A few months ago, Mark & I shipped the kids off to Grandma's & spent a few nights at a hotel nearby.  We decided to take advantage of the time & check out some model homes.  After driving to 3 different models that were closed, we lucked out when we went to the Nicholas Model by M/I Homes.  Compared to the other home builders in the area, M/I Homes always seem to have the best decor, & this one did not disappoint!

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The entry had this gorgeous trim work.

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The navy dining room was to the left as you entered.

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Beyond the dining room was the kitchen.  If you notice in the back corner, there is a bar/ butler's pantry between the kitchen & the dining room.

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The morning room opened to a nice covered deck (not pictured).

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The family room had some built-ins & looked out to the covered porch & outdoor fireplace just beyond it.

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The office/ den was in the back of the house, along with a powder room, & mudroom.

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The upstairs had a spacious bonus room...

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In the girl's room, the decorator turned a full sized bed & styled it as a daybed, which is a great way to save floor space in a smaller room.

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There were blue & white striped walls in the boys room...

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and the guest room featured wallpaper.

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The master bedroom had dark walls,

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and the bathroom had a masculine feel with the dark subway tile.

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Did anything stick out to you in the pictures?  What were your favorite parts?

The View From Here

Sometimes when I'm sitting on the couch & I see this view, I see past the imperfections & it makes me happy!  The cheerful pop of the blue dresser & purple orchid reminds me of how much I like our house & how fortunate I am to live in a home this beautiful.

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When I see this after coming down the steps & turning the corner, it evokes that same feeling.

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The living room & dining room are also some of my favorite views in the house.  The pop of pink flowers & blue pillows with the shiny sunburst mirror & unexpected (but neutral) zebra print on the chairs are just a few of my favorite things in this space.

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Of course, this is one of my very favorite things to see in here!  Most people say they don't use their formal living & dining rooms, but we definitely use ours every day.  The covers on the dining room chairs make for a great hideout (much to my chagrin), & obviously there are races through these rooms, & Zeke usually lays on the couch to read, away from distractions in other rooms.

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Another favorite spot... but I'm usually the one in the chair (probably a little too much)!

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I'm so glad to have a few spots in my home where I can see past the linoleum floors, oak railings, & dirty carpets!  So, what's your favorite view at home?

Exterior Updates

The last time you saw the front of our house, it was looking like this:

















Then the glass broke on the post lamp, which stopped working every time a ball hit it (which happens on a daily basis around here) and the flat, red paint on the door started fading.  It was definitely time for an update.

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We began by taking out the post lamp & disconnecting the electric from the house.  Someday, I think it would be nice to use the electric that used to run to it (which is safely capped off at the house) on some nice landscape lights, but for now I'm just happy the above eyesore is gone!

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After giving the front door a few coats of semi-gloss black paint, I decided we needed to replace the brown lights on the front of the house.  I found a great deal on these lights at Menards (just $35 for a 2-pack of lights!).

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I also found some new turquoise planters at Big Lots and added hot pink geraniums to them.  I could obviously use some tips on how to care for geraniums.

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I'd love to find a larger, more colorful mat for the front door, but I haven't seen anything I like yet.

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From this picture you can see that the post light is gone.  Someday, I would love to have a pretty glass door, but for now, the black is much better!

So, have you started any exterior projects?

Evalyse: Year Two

My daughter, Evalyse, turned two at the end of February.  Around the time I started planning the party, she had a love of “goggies”  (aka doggies…specifically, one that is big, red, & has his own show on PBS) so it only made sense to give her a dog themed party.  I scoured Pinterest in search of some of great inspiration & here is what I came up with…  (Click here to see all the great blogs I took ideas from.)

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I made her invitations using Microsoft Publisher. 

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The red & white striped background was made from one of those cardboard project boards you can get at the dollar store and red duct tape.  I cut the blue “2” out of poster board & covered it in wadded up tissue paper.

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I used plain red & white plates & wrapped the utensils in red & white polka dotted napkins.

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The Scottie dog cake tutorial came from here.

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Party guests left with a doggy bag full of bone-shaped sugar cookies I made.  I tweaked brown paper lunch bags to make the smaller bags & drew & colored in a paw print with a sharpie on each bag.

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What would a dog themed party be without the opportunity to adopt your own four-legged friend? 

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The Puppy Love Adoption Center was a place where guests could…

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choose a puppy (these are from Party City),

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give it a name,

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get it groomed,

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and take it home.  I made these dog houses from shipping boxes I bought from Wal-Mart.  I cut a triangle shape in the front & back of the top & added a black roof from poster board.  Then, I cut out an opening in the front & painted them.

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I decked out the mantel with some more tassel garland & a stuffed dog.

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After chowing down on a hot dog bar, and watching her birthday video it was time for the birthday girl to open presents!

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The party ended with cake & ice cream.

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I think Evie had a great time at the party!  It will be interesting to see how this next year unfolds!





Above is the birhday video I made for Evie this year.  We had it set to the song "I Hope You Dance" by LeAnn Womack, but since we don't own the rights, I didn't put the music on here.  I think it will be self-explanatory why I rarely blog these days once you watch the video!

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