For a while, I was sold on installing a Crestview door.

(image courtesy of crestviewdoors.com)

Crestview sells door lites for the Mid Century Modern DIYer (lites are windows set in doors while sidelites are the windows next to doors). Here’s an image of a Crestview door on the house that I created using their ‘door-o-vision’:

I had been planning on purchasing a flush panel fiberglass door and installing my own Crestview lite until I priced the venture. Unfortunately, it turns out Crestview is best for those looking to spruce up their current doors.

Slightly frustrated by that dead end, I began searching for a shop that would build my door for me. After a couple of phone calls, I found a very patient man who was willing to work with me to build the door of my dreams.

First, we worked on defining the design. Just to see where his pricing would stand, I gave him two different design options – one I expected to be an economical option and the other I expected to be practically impossible to fabricate out of fiberglass. Can you figure which one is which?

We then went back and forth refining the design (there was only so much customization involved before I had to work with his standards) until we came up with this winner:

A pre-hung flush panel fiberglass door with a frosted, insulated 8″x64″ lite, oil-rubbed bronze hardware and 160 degree peephole. I also saved a 10-gallon bucket load by opting for a Weslock lockset over a Baldwin.

Weslock Woodward I Lockset (image courtesy of weslock.com)

The finish and interior lever:

All the parts have been ordered and will be fabricated and ready to pick up by the end of the month. Then, all there is to do is paint and install, no small feat as I have a stack of paint colors to select from and that’s only for the exterior side of the door.

Just for a hint, I’m going for this sort of feel:

(image courtesy of learner.org)

Speaking of which, everyone should check out the BBC TV series ‘Life’. It will change yours.

For some time I had chosen to ignore it, but when my 3 year old nephew informed me that cacti should not lean, I decided something needed to be done about it. My dad gently reminded me that cacti need to be repotted every few years. So that’s what Pete got.

Plus some additional perceived inches.

You have just met Pete. Let’s go meet some of the other plants that populate the House on Penny Lane.

This cactus is Pierce. I have only Mark to thank for that name. It just suits him, I think. Especially since I had to dig one of his needles out of my finger yesterday. He is a particularly prickly fellow.

This lovely lady is Ruby. I’ve had her for a year or so and in that time she has doubled in size. Ruby is a Jade plant, which is non-toxic to cats. That is a good thing considering the bite marks that can be seen on her leaves.

Just like Ruby, this little gal is also a Jade plant, so I find it fitting to name her Judy. Judy came with Pierce, but they have different watering requirements (and different soil needs than their original planter), so they were separated. They were a bit of an odd combination if you ask me.

This is Aloe Vera is Susan. She looks a bit lazy, doesn’t she? Susan came with the cactus that now lives in our master bedroom, but she deserved more than to be hidden behind our bed.

Obviously, I have only scratched the surface of our plant population. Yet to be named are a Snake Plant, another Aloe Vera and a Pony Tail Palm, just to name a few. I will introduce them all eventually.

So far, we have plans to replace our front door, a few windows and some siding. We’re hoping that will give us a big kick in the butt and encourage us to complete the exterior painting that we started back in 2009.

I’ve already felt a bit of a nudge and on the spur of the moment, decided the front shrubs needed to go. I’ve posted about my attempts to improve them before and I had full intentions to dig up and replant them in the backyard, but things just did not go as planned. They are in my backyard, but in pieces…

Before:

After:

Things look a bit dry, but you get idea. I am too excited about all of this.

Just like last year, I’ll be asking for gardening related gifts for my birthday so I can fill the space to suit the house. My idea is low grasses with an occasional vertical element.

Variegated Lirope (image courtesy of casacara)

Mondo Grass (image courtesy of danger garden)

Fountain Grass (image courtesy of fireflyforest)

Red Yucca (image courtesy of dave’s garden)

Here’s our annual countdown!

10 In February, we hung room changing roller shades.

 9 We also made-over Rob’s office in February.

8 In March, we hung linen drapes in the dining room and began contemplating reupholstery for our dining room chairs.

7 I drove to Carrollton, Texas on a whim to purchase a CraigsList coffee table in April.

6  In June I recapped the gardening I did in April which was unfortunately scorched by September.

5 Our dining room chairs were given new life in August.

4 In September, I began the redesign of my buddy Nate’s living room. Check back for my final recap of that space.

3 I crafted up some Fall decor in October.

2 I was also generously gifted a Flag in October.

And finally…

1 Our master bedroom’s style was pumped up a bit with a new old bed in November.

image courtesy of lifeashuman.com

Here’s to 2011! We’re greatly looking forward to 2012!

The guy was a little kooky – just as you would expect from someone with a huge cacti collection – but I left with several new plants, including the 60-incher below, for just $20.

Looks like I’ve got some naming to do…

We moved the tree to the back corner of the living room. I like it being surrounded by windows and how the location makes it seem like there are twice as many gifts under the tree.

I added sprigs of silver berries to my tree decorations. Too bad Jin likes them as much as I do. For the first couple of weeks after putting the tree up, our floor was littered with chewed up silver berries. I might have to rethink that decoration next year.

This year we got to hang our new Disney ornament from our cruise trip in May.

Our little ornament nibbler.

I bought these craft trees from Hobby Lobby right after the holidays last year. The cashier asked how I was going to decorate them. I’m getting the feeling craft paper as decor is not as acceptable in Oklahoma as it is in other parts of the country…

See our past Christmas posts here and here.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!

It’s hard to believe I pulled this off just 3 months after Rob and I moved into the house.

As I said, it was not my first time hosting Thanksgiving dinner, but it was my first time cooking the bird myself. I got some help from my mom and grandma to prep the bird, but I cooked up the brine and butter and roasted it myself. I put the bird in the oven at 9:30 am to allow time to roast (15 minutes per pound equals 3.75 hours), rest and carve by 2:00pm. My bird was done at 11:30am… Apparently “tenting” is an important practice.

So then it was a scramble to finish the rest of the sides. I had taken a before shot of my kitchen Thursday night. I wish I had taken a during shot Thursday afternoon. It was a sight. Luckily, Rob is a dish washing machine and we had that kitchen cleaned up in no time.

Decor around the house stayed relatively the same from Halloween – subtle and minimal.

And the tablescape was quite possibly cheaper than Thanksgiving 2009. I used small glasses and vases that I already owned – purchased during many trips to my favorite thrift store for about $.50 each and filled with yellow tulips I bought that morning for $9.

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! I’m off to nibble on some left-overs for breakfast.

Last weekend, the walls, which I had previously painted SW Worldly Gray, were repainted SW Balanced Beige; our circa 2005 white IKEA Malm bed was donated and my parent’s vintage Westfona teak platform bed was brought in.

Previous, bluer paint color – SW Worldly Gray:

New, sandier paint color – SW Balanced Beige:

We hung IKEA Basisk wall lamps and finished them with paintable plastic cord covers which I cut to incorporate the light switch.

Due to floor vents, we had to scoot the bed frame a good distance from the wall.

I absolutely despised this gap at first, but within a half hour I had an idea to fill the space. Euphorbias and Snake Plants.

Basically, I was greatly inspired by this interior, the home of Maurizio Zucchi:

So, more plans for the bedroom… as soon as there is money to follow through with them.

This image caught my eye because I love using mailing paper for gift wrap and hate the typical santa-shaped name tags. Knowing I was going to be wrapping some wedding gifts for friends, I stopped by Hobby Lobby to buy some alphabet stamps (really I stopped by Michael’s first, then later returned the Michael’s stamps to keep my favored Hobby Lobby stamps). Below is a peek at our tiny stamped signature. I’ll share more when Christmas gift wrapping time has come around.

I’ve been working this week to make the space a bit more livable. Look for more pictures this weekend.