Dining Room and Powder Room Updates | Days of Chalk and Chocolate

Dining Room and Powder Room Updates

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Hi!  We are thoroughly enjoying summer and I can honestly say that we are doing a whole lotta nuthin' and lovin' it.  Today Molly went to our town's safety program called Safety Town. It's so cute. For two weeks the kids learn about all types of ways to be safe:  bike safety, pedestrian safety, fire, etc.  Afterwards, we had our neighbors over. My neighbors are the best. They have two little girls who get along so well with ours and we adore their parents. Just cool people. So the girls spent hours playing outside and then more friends came and the fun continued. Molly was exhausted!  This is how I envisioned my summer.

I'll be honest. Last summer was incredibly hard. Molly was very unhappy to move so far from our friends and she missed our sweet little house.  She hated our apartment, longed for her yard back and for the familiarity she had always known. She cried a lot and struggled to find friends. She would try to meet other kids at the park and get rejected, mostly because they already had their little friends with them and she would sit by herself with her head on her knees.

To add salt to her wounds, she had double eye surgery and was uncomfortable for much of the summer. I felt like her little heart was so broken and I struggled to find a way to help it heal.  I didn't do a great job either. I wish I could go back and be gentler on her.  Maybe not fuss so much about her bedtime or her hair being combed or whatever.

I vowed this summer would be different. It would be filled with friends, lightening bugs, swimming, and ice cream cones.  Today was a great example.  My friend and I laughed as we watched 4 little girls come running barefoot out of the house in various dress up outfits (ladybug, mermaid, ballerina, and fairy!), jump off the deck and sprint to the far edge of our yard to hang upside down on the swing set and to later exclaim that they had seen fairies in the trees.  I am so grateful that we found not just a house but a home that is now filled with friends and laughter!

And it's slowly becoming a home we feel reflects us. I recently added the doors back onto my china cabinet and now it's complete!  You can check out the back story on this cabinet here.

Here are some snapshots of the dining room.

The day we closed on the house.






This buffet was given to me by my parents. It had been in the house I grew up in forever and they gave it to us when they sold.  The painting is a Jenny original and I keep thinking I will repaint it the right way some day!  LOL!

I need to put some stuff up on the walls that is still packed from our move. Eventually I'll upgrade our dining set and get a much bigger one. 

I mentioned that Jim has been working on the powder room and I am so excited!  We painted it with chalkboard paint!!  It's so cool. I am going with a vintage school house vibe in it but I don't want it to be theme-y.

What we were starting with



We added a thicker, chunkier than usual cap molding for the top as we wanted to feel a little like a chalk ledge in a classroom of yore.



We changed the fixtures over to new ORB ones. I love it!

As we progress I'll post more!  Eventually I hope to do bigger reveals. Enjoy these snips though!

Cheers!
 Jenny

23 comments:

  1. The progress is looking great! I can't wait to see the room reveals! You have great taste!

    --Katie

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  2. Your dining room looks beautiful Jenny!
    Great job
    XXX

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  3. The painting is beautiful. Don't overpaint it!

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  4. Oh I love the bathroom! Just found your site today! I'm our newest follewer!

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  5. Pretty! Love your table and chairs!

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  6. It looks wonderful!!! I can't wait to see the bathroom too :)

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  7. Sooo stunning.. You have an amazing home.. I LOVE it.. Would LOVE for you to please share this via Pin'Inspirational Thursday's happening now (which YOU are already featured today) : )).. LOVE love your home.. So much inspiration.. Wishing you a beautiful evening.. xo.. http://www.theartsygirlconnection.com/2012/06/pininspirational-thursday-fun.html

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  8. Looking great, Jenny!! I'd love for you to add my party button and party with us over at Live Laugh Rowe each week :) Come show off your talents. Happy Thursday! Hugs. xo, Kelly

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    1. I don't have YOUR button? WHAT? What is wrong with me? I party with you all the time and I'm so sorry that I haven't had your button up. Going to fix it right now!

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  9. Ohmygosh! Jenny! Your spaces are looking SOOOO beautiful! You guys have donea ton of work. I am so impressed- I want to see MORE!!!!
    xo Becca

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  10. Just gorgeous!!! And to still have your families buffet...how special. It is all just beautiful. Have a wonderful weekend, Best Wishes, Bobbie

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  11. Love the dining room, the chandy is fabulous also. Great bathroom redo. The wainscoting is gorgeous. Hugs, Marty

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  12. P.S. I am you newest follower. Hope you will grab my button and link up to my Table Top Tuesday parties. Any surface you can decorate on is fair game. Hope to see you there. Hugs, Marty

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  13. It is all looking so incredible Jenny and it made me smile picturing your daughter and her friends looking for fairies! So glad she has made some good friends. :-) Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful home with us at Inspiration Friday!
    Vanessa
    P.S. Have you ever thought about sharing some of your projects on www.hometalk.com? It is a site designed for people to show off their DIY and home improvement projects and yours would be perfect! Let me know if you do! :-)

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  14. Jenny,

    Your dining room is beautiful. I love the chalk paint in the bathroom. So cool with the ledge for the chalk.

    Dee
    P.S.I'm a Jersey girl too!

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  15. Thankyou for linking up i love your cabinet im glad you are enjoying your summer. I look forward to seeing more xxx

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  16. It all looks so beautiful! I ♥ it! Just found you at DIY Project Parade. Would love to have you stop by for a visit. I'm your newest follower! Thanks for sharing. Blessings ~ Judy

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  17. Lovely! I especially love the wall color in the dining room :)

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  18. Beautiful! I love your hutch and the bathroom fixtures...actually everything :) Thanks so much for sharing Jenny!

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  19. Oh wow - beautiful sneak peeks, Jenny! SO pretty!

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Thanks for your comments!