deciding on a herringbone floor pattern

After our foundation cracked last summer from 2 summers of extreme drought, putting matching hardwood floors in the living room and dining room wasn't an option anymore.  We decided to lay new carpet in the living room and it's great.  We still wanted something else by the door so the carpet wasn't eternally disgusting.  So I chose peel and stick wood flooring.

While I have changed the entry, once again,  I still love this flooring.  It doesn't warp if it gets wet, it is super easy to clean and it's extremely affordable!

I also put it in our front closet and in the Laundry Room Makeover.

please note, I hadn't put the trim back on or touched up the black paint, yes my laundry room/pantry is black.

After living with it for a while, I have decided this is the flooring for the dining room and kitchen.  With 4 kids, I don't always catch spills and I don't want to ruin a $2000 floor because someone's sippy cup leaked for too long.  Plus, our painted floor {while this looked good for a while} is looking really shabby.  

The total cost is going to run us about $300 in flooring and I am guessing another $100 in extra glue and floor primer.  Significantly less than hardwood.  

On to the pattern for the floor, I laid the entry, closet and laundry room normally.  They were small spaces and a larger design would have been wasted.  The dining room and kitchen however are a much larger space and I am trying to decide how I want to run the herringbone pattern.

These are my inspiration pics:

so lovely

I really like this one, it's less traditional and visually doesn't catch my eye as herringbone

the pic on the left the herringbone runs the opposite of the first pic I showed you

Thoughts?

via

sometimes my brain wants to explode....

We are creeping up on living here for 3 years.  I can't believe we have been here 3 years.  In this time, I have done a lot to our house...no room is complete, like I want it to be.  I'm getting there.  This is also the last year I will be staying home, next fall I'm back to playing teacher.  Whilst I am looking forward to 2 incomes again, I will miss being home to see my babies all day long.  

Tonight and tomorrow I will be cleaning to take pictures of before and afters so fars.  Mainly because tomorrow is Mr. TSL's birthday and we have his family coming over to bbq.  I'll write the story of how we got our house soon....it's a doozy!

I have redone both bathrooms and already have better ideas to improve them.  I am not going to start it until spring, because I have decided to do the kitchen first.

My brain is exploding over excitement for the kitchen island....

black cabinets and planks

I am going to make a live edge counter top and have it held up with custom hairpin legs! 

images via pinterest

I am hoping in the next 2 weeks to start the island!

xoxo

thrift store score: giant lantern

sometimes when you go to a thrift store or the g-dub (goodwill) you find nothing.  other times you score big, like when i scored these chairs.

this is a score story.  i sold some crap off craigslist and was meeting the lady to deliver it and also had 6 trash bags of donate.  yes, i said 6 and no that isn't even half of what needed to go....that's all i had room for in the car.  anywho, the g-dub i usually go to was way across town so i stopped by a salvation army and dumped my stuff there.  i wasn't going to go in, but audrey and oliver were being good, so in we went.  i was walking around, got some random goodies.  i always go through the toys, baby clothes, picture frames and household stuff.

i walk by the furniture, some decent, nothing saying "kari take me home, stick me in your garage and pretend you have the time to redo me!"  then i saw it over by the lamps....a huge freaking lantern.

it's 30 inches tall and 17 inches wide!!  i swear it weighs like 15 pounds!
it's going to be red and hang over my kitchen island.  i hope to have it done in a week or so!

now some inspiring lantern pictures.....

images via pinterest

xoxo

Master Bath: Complete!!!

So, we finished the bathroom a while ago and I suck at keeping up with writing and taking pics of my stuff :)

Not sure why the toilet and sink look cream color...they are totally white :)

My old photo editing program bit it and I am taking pics straight from the camera...and I am a sucky photographer :)

The top art I made.  The bottom art is from Etsy from Kari Egan @Pop Doggie. 

The shower curtain is a chevron/herringbone top sheet from a set of sheets I picked up at Target. 

I just fold over the sheet and attach it with curtain clips that I have attached to the shower curtain rings.  Yes, you can see the shower liner, no I do not care.  Eventually, I will sew some button holes or use some grommets.  Until then this totally works for me :)

Made this art too, it says 

Loved you yesterday,

Love you still,

Always have & 

Always will.

C+K

I know, I am so romantic it's gag inducing!! :)

There it is, my beautiful butcher block counter top!!

It's fabulous and DIY, maybe more HYHMIWTAOAS

That is have your husband make it with the assistance of a student :)

If you are reading this student-- I will not put your name on the internet, but thank you Shmaylor Bermuda :) 

The art on this wall is burlap in a frame that has a penny with the year each of us was born :)

Master Bathroom: Part 1 Demo

Master Bathroom: Part 2 Slate Floor

Master Bathroom: Part 3 Vanity Redo

Just for a reminder the bathroom looked like this:

xoxo

SUNDAY: The DIY Showoff 

 MONDAY: Thrifty Decor Chick, Dittle Dattle,Between Naps On the Porch, Homemaker on a Dime
TUESDAY: Tip Junkie, Today's Creative Blog, Strictly Homemade
WEDNESDAY: Not Just A Housewife Sugar and Dots The Mommy Club  THURSDAY:My Repurposed Life. House of Hepworths, Beyond The Picket Fence, The Shabby Chic Cottage, Somewhat Simple 
FRIDAY: Fingerprints on the Fridge, Miss Mustard Seed, Remodelaholic, Chic on a Shoestring,  Shabby Nest
SATURDAY: Funky Junk Interiors, Tatertots and Jello 

Emily Henderson Inspired Big Girl Room

Emily Henderson Inspired Big Girl Room by thesunsetlane on Polyvore

Work Lamp Gold
$315 - hviit.no

Pier One Senopati 6 Drawer Dresser - Antique White
pier1.com

Storkcraft Caribou Bunk Bed, Navy
walmart.com

Navy Textured Dupioni Silk Curtain
halfpricedrapes.com

Bouquet Duvet Cover
urbanoutfitters.com

M white Chanel CC pink tray
etsy.com

Neon Pink Linen Triangle Pillow - 13 x 13 in.
etsy.com

Rainbow Zigzag Rug
urbanoutfitters.com

Rainbow Rag Rug
urbanoutfitters.com

The Sunset Lane's Living Room Board

Today for some reason Pinterest won't let me waist my time....so I found Polyvore!  Suck it Pinterest....I take that back, please don't be mad at me Pinterest.  I'm sorry.  

I did make this today though!  No I don't plan to spend that much on my living room, but I am going to try to find more affordable versions of everything on there!!

The Sunset Lane's Living Room Board by thesunsetlane on polyvore.com