Face Lift

Psst...Guess what? The blog got a face lift today. No more posts will be found here. Instead...The SLP Caravan has a new home. slpcaravan.com Click the link below the picture to see her in her new glory.

http://www.slpcaravan.com/

Laundry Room

We've been busy at the Chapman shouse this past week. We kicked off the weekend by celebrating the union of one of our favorite ARMY couples. Saturday I attended our first bridal shower. We are so thankful to Joel's side of the family for helping us "stock our pantry"! We have propane and food now, no more excuses for me not to cook.

We had company over Saturday night and then winded down from all our partying by staining our stairs Sunday after church (well, Joel stained and I observed :) The stairs turned out really nice and I am excited to have that completed. (Stairs reveal post soon.)

Wedding planning is in full swing around here. Last night we held a "meeting of the minds" gathering at the shouse to hammer out last minute details. I have been neglecting my laundry and Joel's, however I really love our laundry room area. It makes laundry a little more bearable.

Joel and I decided to upgrade from the washer and dryer we had. I think I went through 4 used washer/dryer sets in college. When you live with girls with lots of hair, I think it must be really hard on washers and dryers. We splurged for the front load washer and dryer and I love them. Our cabinet guy, Matt (Integrity Woodworks in Crane, MO) made us a custom pedestal for the washer and dryer set so they set off the ground a bit and provided extra storage below.

There is a divider that keeps things from falling too far back behind the washer and dryer. I found the baskets at Lowes. They hold detergent, my iron and other odds and ends. The pink light fixture in the laundry room came out of my great-great grandmothers home. My grandma thinks it's at least 75 years old. I feel pretty honored to now give it life in our new home.

On the opposite side of the washer and dryer, we had custom shelving put in to hold all of our small appliances. The metal baskets were snagged from my parent's shop. I think they look much nicer holding our snacks and mixes than the PVC elbows they were originally used for. My Dad about choked when I told him people pay $20 a piece in flea markets for old pool locker baskets.

We also have a toilet beside the shelves and the door that leads out to the gargage. I love being able to put things on top of our washer. The downside to having such tall appliances is, functional shelves above are hard to reach. I bought a board and some brackets at Lowe's and made a shelf out them to add some decor on the walls above the washer and dryer.

We have really enjoyed having company these last few weeks. The layout of our laundry/pantry/extra bathroom area really turned out to be a nice floor plan. A special shout out to one of our most frequent guests, who turns 11 today. We are constantly entertained by having Blake in our lives.

I Love You to the Fridge and Back

It's been a whirlwind around the shouse. Joel moved everything in the house on one Saturday with the help of his family and friends. I guess I picked a good weekend to pick up a hospital shift. :) However, I moved almost everything on my own in the fall when he was still out saving the world, so it evens out. I came home that evening and got to work decorating with the help of my mom.

I had great plans to keep decorating the following evening, but a hospital patient shared the stomach bug with me and it just didn't happen. Kali has been really comfy in the new place though.

I finally felt back in commission and the rest of the week was spent organizing, moving things, hanging things, cleaning (so much dust still) and just coming to the realization that we had officially built a house. People say that if you can survive building a house, your marriage will last right?

Just reflecting on the last year, it's been a ride. This time last year Joel landed in Afghanistan, then I graduated from graduate school, planned a wedding and started two new jobs. Joel came home later in the fall, we began building our home and here we are. Whew. I sent off paperwork for my official SLP-CCC title last week. It's a pretty big deal! With a new home and deployment under our belt, we are really really ready to live together and enjoy life in this new season.

My kitchen is my favorite place in our house. My mother is a fantastic decorator. I remember her dragging me to flea markets as a little girl. In my teens I went through an Audrey Hepburn, 60s era phase. It's probably why I love everything about Mad Men to this day. I've mellowed on the "funky avocado color and wanting a bathtub turned couch" passion, but you can still see pieces of that love in my kitchen. Mostly through the bright colors of my Fiestaware.

Fiestaware is my fine china. The shelves holding all of my dishes originally were natural colored and this weekend I removed the shelves. I taped them off trying to be really careful around the trim.

I painted them the same color as the upper cabinets. It took an hour and a half to tape, paint two coats, dry and get everything back together. Another win for chalk paint.

Mostly now when I flea market or junk I'm looking for something that came from a farmhouse or that looks rustic.

I've become really snobbing when I junk because I don't want to pay for something that I could make myself. These curtains were a flour sack originally. I paid $3 to turn them into cafe curtains. I love that they are a piece of Missouri. They also say Walker on them, which is the last name of family friends. I thought this was a nice omen for the house. The sign above the barn door was purchased at a store near Jamesport, Missouri. It's funky and diner like and I love that it's finally in it's permanent home and place of calling.

The barn door in our kitchen is one of my favorite things in the whole house. I purchased the kit from Amazon for $60.

Next up on the blog is lighting, laundry and the front porch.