Suzannah Hamlin Stanley's Blog, page 66

How to convert a can light to a pendant light! Non-electrical tutorial

We are making progress on the kitchen and one more exciting recent updates is making the old can light over the sink into a really pretty pendant light!

I don't mind can lights for general kitchen lighting and spreading out light over big areas, but above the sink is an opportunity to highlight a really cool fixture! I thought about having an electrician move the power to the wall above the window so I could do a cute brushed brass sconce... but, that costs money, of course, and then we would...

Last week's goals: creativity, delicious food, and fun! And getting ready to sew. #Stanley90sreno week 17

I went into last weekend feeling pumped!! So ready to decorate, do some thrift shopping, and make lots of delicious meals for the weekend and week since I had just stocked up on veggies and been flipping through a new cookbook. I gave myself the weekend off from laying flooring. Last weekend was for FUN stuff!

I started by hitting up a few Goodwill stores with a friend. Didn't find the fabulous mid-century dresser or beautiful antique rug or cute matching nightstands I was looking for, but did...

The eeeeeasiest curtain rods (that are elegant and affordable, too!)

Are you a curtain person or a blinds person? Or a blinds-with-curtains-on-top person? I have always been a curtains-only person, but in the new house, we have some huge windows and some closer neighbors--so I've opted for both!

Getting blinds and curtains up was essential to making our house feel livable. I put curtains up as soon as I could! I ordered all one type of curtain rod, a black "room-darkening" model, and they were SO easy to install and so affordable, and they look and function so...

Black four-poster beds, and a $40 DIY and tutorial

I have always loved bedroom decor. Bedrooms can be so pretty and personal. That means I love playing around with our decor at home!

Unfortunately for my husband, who likes things to stay the same... I have often been a serial bed owner. Until I did the pro tufting on the headboard my dad built for us, we owned several beds, several versions of that tufted headboard, lots of Craigslist updates and nightstand changes to go with. I loooooooved that grey velvet headboard but in our new home,...

The end of Phase I is in sight. #stanley90sreno week 16!

We've made such progress on the flooring install in the past couple weeks that I can almost see the end of what we've been thinking of as Phase I of the reno!

We finished flooring the final bedroom/future guest room this weekend, huge closet and all. It's a funky room with a hall into it. Here's the before.

Now all we have left to do of flooring are a couple closets downstairs. Then we have to install baseboards. For that part, I am a little terrified. (How long will that take??) The other part...

Affordable decor and the difference lighting makes. Dining room update

Now that we have flooring in the whole first floor of the house, things are really starting to feel homey and normal in here. And I'm getting a chance to play around with decor! There's one piece we're totally settled on, though!

I've been back and forth on our dining room chairs and table, and really just happened on the blue rug we put in here. But the first piece of decor we settled on in this dining room was this light fixture.

Here's what the room looked like a couple months ago. We had mo...

A finished living room! And dining room? #Stanley90sreno week 15

I'm feeling good! Let's see, what have we been doing... finished the flooring in the living room, moved in more furniture, finished some decor in the dining room, replaced lighting, and more!

I spent allllllll day Saturday laying flooring. I didn't do a huge amount in terms of square footage, but they were awkward areas and it took quite a while. BUT I got the living room and downstairs hall done--that means we now have continuous laminate flooring throughout almost the whole downstairs!

Coming...

All natural peanut butter and jelly raspberry protein smoothie recipe (with frozen Oregon berries!)

I dare say I've mastered the slushy, milk shake-ey, delicious, still nutritious and filling all natural protein shake. I made this one extra exciting with some frozen berries and it is so tasty, pretty, and perfect for the middle of winter!

The Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission supports hundreds of Oregon growers of raspberries, blackberries, Marionberries, and other caneberries (have you ever heard that term?? Berries that grow on a cane!) and wants to spread the word that we ca...

More flooring progress and a new bed! #Stanley90sreno week 14

Wow, what a good week!! Despite the snow outside (maybe because of it?) I was able to get a lot done on two big projects!
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Cranberry vanilla almond gluten-free protein bars

When I figured out this homemade protein bar recipe, I was super pumped. I so often find the need for a low-maintenance, balanced snack and the storebought options are either full of mystery ingredients, really expensive, and/or really high in sugar. I've been making my basic protein bars pretty regularly, but wanted to try a special treat variation and came up with this one!

I don't eat many grains at all (discovered how much better I felt cutting them out in my raw vegan and now mostly-Paleo...