Treasure Hunt Thursday #110 & Most Viewed

Summer vacation has officially started around here! The boys are glad to be on break and I am loving the fact that they are here with me. I hope that everybody's summer has started off well!

Here are the most viewed links from last weeks THT! 

1. Junk Chic Cottage

2.Southern Seasonz

3. Coastal Charm

Thank you to all who come and party every week and to those who just stop by to say Hi!

Common Courtesies

1. Please only link up new links that you have not shared before. 

 

2. Please link up only 3 times. If you have more you would like to share save the share till the next THT so it will be just as awesome.

 

3. Please do not link up items you are trying to sell or other linky parties.

 

4. Please be sure to link back to THT. Hint hint I will only feature those who have the link back. 

 

5. Disable Word Verification to encourage more comments from your visitors!:)

 

I would love to have you follow along with me if you do not already!

 

Can't wait to see what you have to share this week.

Backyard Oasis- Part 3 Update

We are now in week number 3 of our backyard renovation. It has been pure craziness since day 1 of the dig but there soon will be an end in site. The boys are getting very excited and I will be happy to have my backyard back. 

Before any of the craziness could begin though we had the huge task of deciding just what we wanted our pool to look like. There are so many choices and the sky really is only limited to your imagination and of course $$$!;)

When looking thru my inspirations that I have been collecting over the past few years I found that I leaned more to the Grecian style pools. The Hubster and I wanted something that fit the style of our home and we felt that the Grecian style did just that.

We sat down and showed our pool designer my inspiration pics and described the feel we were trying to achieve with our pool. This is what we landed up on.

So the hole was dug and rebar installed.

Next up came the gunite installation. 

It was truly amazing watching them sculpt the gunite into our design. We joked that our pool looked more like a mid evil castle at this point.

Then came in the plumbing and electrical install which made the yard 100X more messy.

After the plumbing and electrical went in it was time to form the patio extensions and install the pool coping.

We are just loving how the coping came out.

To date they are working on finishing up the tile work. 

With the tile work coming to end we needed to decide on what color we wanted our pool plaster to be. These are all the Peeble Sheen colors we had to choose from. Who knew there were so many decisions that go into building a pool!?

Source
We also needed to decide on what we wanted our patio overlay to look like and this is our inspiration pic for that. We meet with the overlay specialist this week and I can not wait! Our Peeble Sheen install happens this week as well and the landscaping begins. If all stays on track we are told that there should be water in our pool by the weekend!:) After the Peeble Sheen is installed the overlay specialist will be back next week to do the patio and we will be complete! Then we will celebrate with margaritas!;)

How I Found My Style Sundays- Our Southern Home

Hi, I'm Christy from Our Southern Home! I am so honored and excited that Pamela asked me to be here at From My Front Porch to Yours for one of my absolute favorite blog series...

"How I Found My Style Sundays"

I started Our Southern Home less than a year ago. It has been a wonderful journey making wonderful friends along the way. Pamela has been wonderful answering some of my novice questions here and there. I am loving every minute of it!

Through 23 years of marriage, I'd have to say my style has evolved from the old style country of the late 80s to the jewel tones of the 90s. Our first home was a labor of love, and I do mean labor. It was a 70s ranch that had never been remodeled. It had layers of wall paper, shag carpet and beautiful orange kitchen counter tops. We completely remodeled that home learning lots along the way!

We later went on to build our current home. It is a Southern Living House plan, Abberley Lane. We wanted a home with old house charm. Before the building of this home, I'd say my style shifted to a mix of French Country, English Country and traditional with vintage thrown in. That's a mouth full!

I love to cook and the kitchen has always been a favorite room of mine! We built our current home in 2004. To this day, I wouldn't change a thing in our kitchen. Our old home had cabinets that I had painted white. I loved it, but was really ready for a change when we moved. The stained pine perimeter cabinets and painted island have been so easy to maintain. You can read more about our French Country kitchen HERE. The designer Charles Faudree has been a big source of inspiration for me. I love his use of color. I think I own all of his books! I am loving the popular look of all neutrals and whites, but will always be drawn to subtle color.  

A local tile artist painted and fired the French Country village scene on tumbled marble tiles. It actually has all of our names hidden within the design!

I enjoy incorporating rusty reds, greens, blues and neutrals into my decorating. Ebay has been an economical source for my antique rugs, plates and tole trays through the years. The walls in the breakfast area are a green washed Cyprus. The ceiling planks are stained pine.

This is one of my most treasured finds in our home. We purchased this antique hutch in Chapel Hill, NC on a weekend away about 13 years ago. It houses my cookbook collection below.

Our screened porch is another favorite room in the house. This is really where I showcase my love of vintage casual. All the furniture with the exception of the outdoor wicker has been a used find and repainted. We eat dinner here most nights late spring (after the nasty southern pollen has run its course) through late fall. You can see more of the porch HERE.

The screened porch has access from the kitchen/family room and the master bedroom.

Our master bedroom is traditional with French Country fabric touches and solid mahogany furniture. The window treatments and bedding are 12 years old!!!! I really try to spend money on items that will last the long haul. I still love the window treatments and matelasse bedding. I hope to update the pillows in the very near future to bring in a more vintage, casual feel.

While I am really on the furniture re-purposing bandwagon now with thrift store finds, I still have the belief in that you should really try to buy the best quality upholstered pieces that you can afford in high use areas. The couch and love seat are an example of this. They are seventeen years old and on their second fabrics. Yes, they started out jewel toned! They're still as comfortable and sturdy as ever!

The guest room is off of the family room and is still a work in progress. I adore collecting tole trays.....a nod to my love of French Country.

This is my most treasured piece in our home. We purchased it in Southport, NC. It is an antique painted piece from Germany. It houses my massive yarn stash (confessed yarn hoarder). It used to be in our master bedroom, but in this house it is in the guest room.

This is my hubby's study which is probably more English in style with the hunt scene painted along the tile and the oil above the mantel. The two chairs were a newspaper downsizing ad....pre-Craigs List. They were bright yellow!!! I got both for $75! The small table is just one of my chalk paint make-overs.

It is so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing to decorate. I get asked quite frequently from friends and folks online about paint colors. These days I lean more towards a light, neutral wall color and letting your furniture and accessories pop! Pick and chose those elements from styles you are drawn to and incorporate them into your style that you love. You are decorating your home to make a haven for your family! It is ultimately a matter of what you love!

Many thanks again to Pamela for giving me the honor to be apart of How I Found My Style Sundays! I sure hope to meet up with her one day...she actually has family near me in South Carolina!

I'd love for you to visit Our Southern Home and follow along!

I am so glad that Christy was able to share with us today her beautiful home! I have enjoyed getting to know her this year and she is such a delight. I hope that you stop by her place and get to know her better too!