Exterior House Paint

When we first saw our house, we were definitely not in love with the exterior paint color.
It was a very 70's shade of peach with a pale yellow trim.  Not exactly the combination we would have chosen.

Note:  The top picture was taken the first time we came to look at the house.  The bottom picture was after the painters had pressure washed.

After living in our home for a year and a half, we decided it was time to look into getting the exterior repainted.  We knew it needed to be done for maintenance purposes, but were also super excited to change the colors to something more our style.  

Actually picking the new colors was a really tough task!  There was this added pressure of knowing we couldn't blame anyone but ourselves if we didn't like the new paint colors. Thank goodness we love the end result!  

We went with a nice light gray for the main house color, a dark charcoal (with a blue undertone) for the shutters and front door, white trim and a pop of light blue on the back porch ceiling.  

That back porch ceiling was inspired by a southern tradition I heard about recently. The light blue is thought to keep bugs and evil spirits away.  I'm not sure how true that part is, but the idea of always having a "blue sky" above you sure is lovely.

The new color palette is fresh and has a much more Northwest-y feel.  We are just loving it. Plus, look at how those pink rhodies pop against the neutral paint color!

Full Body Workout

Looking for a great full body workout to get ready for summer?  Give this one a try!  It includes a little bit of everything and some of my favorite exercises.

Running Playlist

Until recently, I rarely listened to music while running.  Crazy, right?  Well, I put together a new running playlist a little while ago and have rediscovered how much music can improve a run!  Certain songs really give me that little boost I need.  Others just make me happy and distract me from thinking about how much further I have to go.

Here are some songs that help me get through my run (and actually enjoy it).

1. Livin' It Up - Ciara
2. Beg For It - Iggy Azalea
3. Goodness Gracious - Ellie Goulding
4. Heartbeat Song - Kelly Clarkson
5. Honey, I'm Good - Andy Grammer
6. Set You Free - 3OH!3
7. Want To Want Me - Jason DeRulo
8. Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall

Tissue Paper Pom Poms

These tissue paper pom poms were the main decor in the tents at our wedding reception.  I absolutely love how delicate and pretty they looked strung up among the little white lights. Plus, they are a super fun way to bring in color.  

You can buy premade pom poms that simply require a bit of fluffing.  However, they are a little pricey and it adds up when you need hundreds of them!  Luckily, I had some amazing bridesmaids at my side to help me make this fabulous pom pom garland.

Running Motivation

I usually end my runs feeling fantastic and accomplished.  Unfortunately, there are some days that I'm just not in the zone.  I feel sluggish, tired, just... off.  Today was one of those days. That's when I need a little reminder:  the important thing is that I got outside and gave it my best effort.

Arm Workout

Check out this arm workout!  You'll definitely feel the burn after this one.  All you need is a pair of dumbbells (5 - 10 lbs each).

Abs Workout

Summer will be here before we know it, so I'm adding this abs workout into my exercise plan for the week.  I like mixing up my workouts from time to time.  While I've been enjoying my running routine lately, it will feel nice to exercise some different muscles and focus on toning.

Give this a try if you're looking for a fun core strengthening workout!

Prevent Runner's Knee Workout

With summer just around the corner, I've been upping my number of runs per week. I've struggled with exercise injuries in the past. While running stairs one morning, I strained my knee. I had to totally baby it for the next couple months to avoid pain while working out. In an effort to be more proactive, I put together this workout filled with exercises aimed at preventing runner's knee. The plan is to do this workout on the days I don't go for a run (if it's raining or I just feel the need to mix things up).

Deer Resistant Plants

There is a very cute family of 5 deer that wander through our neighborhood.  This would be great, but deer often like to snack on the flowers you've put so much time and energy into.  

One way to keep deer from entering and munching on your garden is to plant things they don't find appetizing.  

Here are some of the plants I've found in my search that are fairly deer resistant:

Adding Color and MORE Roses!

Since last weekend, I have added several more plants to my garden.  I purchased 10 more rose plants and a variety of other flowers to add pops of color.  

Here are some of the flowers I planted to bring some much needed color to the backyard:

Tips for a Deer Free Garden

While planning out the garden at our new house, I've really had to take the local deer into consideration.  Here are some great tips I've heard for keeping deer out of the backyard and away from your pretty flowers.

1.  Plant strongly smelling herbs (lavender, mint, chives, garlic) throughout the garden to mask the appealing smell of your flowers.

Stop to Smell the Roses

Yesterday, I attended a workshop at my local nursery.  It was super fun and I learned a lot!  The workshop was all about roses; how to plant them and care for them.

Before attending the workshop, I was nervous to prune the existing roses in our yard and really had no idea what they needed to flourish.  Afterwards, I was filled with excitement and confidence to get outside and get to work!  Today, I'll share a few of the things I learned at the workshop that I found super helpful.

1)  When pruning roses, make cuts at a 45 degree angle.  

2)  Try to make the cut so it faces out from the center of the plant.

Pacific Northwest Favorites

It's that time of year again!  Time to get outside, get your hands dirty and start planting!  It is especially exciting for me this year because it is the first Spring in our new house and the first time I've had a nice garden space (or a backyard at all, for that matter) in years.

Here are a 10 of my favorite flowers that do well in the Pacific Northwest (specifically, Zone 8):

Front Porch Spring Makeover

Last weekend, the clocks sprung forward and the sun started shining.  The beautiful weather inspired me to get outside and makeover the front porch!

I love dressing up our double front doors with coordinating wreaths.  Finding nice wreaths in stores can be challenging and expensive.  Making your own is such a fun project and when you are all finished, it is bound to be something you are proud to show off.  

Gallery Wall

It's been awhile since my last post!  The holidays have come and gone, we've made it through our first (and second) big snowfall in the new home.  Now, finally, Spring is right around the corner!

One of the best parts of moving in is hanging up pictures.  It always makes it feel a little more like home to have pictures of people you love up on the walls.  I did a little poking around on Pinterest and found some great inspiration for a gallery wall.

Popcorn Ceilings Be Gone

We are about halfway through our first big project:  scraping the popcorn ceilings.  

It's quite the task!  I wasn't super sure what to expect before we started working on it.  Would it be hard?  Would it be a mess?  Would we be able to do it ourselves?  The answer is yes, yes and yes!

As far as it being hard, it really did come down to the tools we were using.  We started out using plastic scrapers.  These were duct taped to the end of dowels so we could have better leverage and a longer reach.  

Happy New Homeowners

It's official:  we closed on our new home today!  

We finally finished signing all the paperwork and can call the house our own.  As of 3:28 this afternoon, we are homeowners!  

Bring on the projects, the remodeling and the decorating!  The things we've been wanting to dive into for years now, but haven't wanted to invest the time or money on a house we were only renting. 

Sneak Peek of our New Home

It's been a lot of work and much time spent searching, but we are so close!  We found our perfect first home and it is almost ours.  

As the closing date approaches, we are getting more and more excited to move in and make it our own.  My fiance and I are not afraid to get in there and get our hands dirty.  Fortunately, our new home will keep us busy with projects galore!  

Here are a few before pictures: