Our First Visitors!

We had our first visitors last weekend. Our first visitors if you we don’t count my mama’s visit, and I’m guessing she would consider herself as an unpaid laborer based on her stay.
The Bakers came to visit, and we finally took a few days to relax and have some fun. We played at the beach and in the pool. We tried out a new place to eat, Helen Back, where they had delicious pizza and amazing outdoor seating on the water. Of course we had to sit inside because we showed up late, but next time we know. We know to get there early so we don’t get seated by all the video games. “Mama, I need dollars. Mama, I need dollars.” You get the picture.



On their last night here we went to check out the stores and restaurants at the Okaloosa Fishing Pier. The kids had a great time playing on the playground and eating gelato. Cole found a cool toy in one of the shops…a marshmallow shooting slingshot. David and Goliath is his favorite story right now, so he was thrilled to find it!
We ended our weekend (Brian, Cole, & I) with fishing in the sound. Actually it was just Brian doing the fishing while I enjoyed the sunset. I forgot to mention that Brian and Cliff came to this same spot, caught some trout, and cooked dinner for us Saturday night – it was perfect.

Okaloosa Island Wedding Photography: Destin and Fort Walton Beach

Over the weekend I photographed a beautiful beach wedding for Keri and Brennan. They wanted a simple ocean backdrop, and it was absolutely beautiful!

Here are just a few photos:

If you are looking to be married on Okaloosa Island (super close to Destin), check out the great wedding packages offered by Out of the Blue - they do EVERYTHING for you!

Wall Art Ordered: Can't Wait!

I have been tossing around the idea of having a custom map made to go above my fireplace, and that is what I finally decided on today. I found this girl on etsy who makes maps for weddings and such. She is going to make one for me that includes a few of the places that we like. It will be not only pretty, but fun and interesting.

Once I receive the map, I'll scan it and have a larger canvas version made to hang. I think I might I also have a few postcards made to keep in the guest room so visitors can send one home if they like. And yes, I did get permission from the artist to do so.  :)

Here are a couple of examples of her work. She is super sweet, so be sure to check out her etsy shop. She also does beautiful acrylic paintings.

Before and (sort of) After: Living Room

Most of the rooms in our house look like a tornado passed through, but the living room is starting to come along. At least we can walk through without feeling like we are competing in an obstacle course race. The first photo shows what the living room looked like when we bought the house.

We got rid of the blue carpet and put down a medium tone, distressed hardwood floor, painted the whole room (it got quite dirty when the floors were going in), and added a mantle. We also put tile up around the bottom of the fireplace because we wanted to be able to use that space for extra "seating" if needed because what was already there was not structurally sufficient for such.

I finally sat down and took the time to sew my curtain panels yesterday.  I still need something to go over the fireplace, so I'm working on that and a few more things. I think I need a rug, but I hate the idea of trying to keep it clean with all the sand that comes in our house.

~Sorry the photos are so small, but if you click on them you can see a larger version.~

If you happen to want to know how to sew lined curtain panels, I highly suggest this blog that has a great tutorial with photos. A few years ago I tried making some, and the end result involved my friend Amy sewing the curtain panels after I threw in the towel. There are always so many ways to go about sewing something, and this tutorial made it really easy!

Family Session

Sometimes my job is just way too easy. Take last night for example...you might think that photographing a family with three boys would be a bit of a challenge. I know that photographing just my one boy is a challenge. But this family...piece of cake. To see more of the photos, just click on the photo below, and you will be taken to the facebook album.

I'm so glad I got to meet you - it was a pleasure. Hope to see you on your next visit!

If you are looking for a family beach portrait photographer on Okaloosa Island (super close to Destin), be sure to check out Out of the Blue!

It's All About the Aqua...

In pool related news (I don't want to jinx it...) the algae is gone for now. Brian has been swimming laps in the every night, Cole has been having some swimming lessons, and finally I made time to get in after Cole and I got home from the beach this morning.

I bought the coffee table you see below in Quitman several years ago, and we have loved having it. It has been the perfect table for playing games and just the right size for Cole to make a huge mess with his play-doh. Well...I decided it needed some color in a beach house, but Brian almost died right there on the spot when I told him.

Mama was here helping us, so I sent her out on a search mission to find a similar table that I could paint. After lots of looking she finally found one on craigslist and made a run to Destin to pick it up. My resourceful mama also managed to find some chalkpaint on a Sunday afternoon, so I got started painting it right away. If you know me, you know that patience is a virtue I don't possess.

 Three coats of aqua later it's time to move on. The new table has a scalloped border along the table top and some holes that I think I'll paint white. I'll post a photo once I get it finished. I think I also need to whitewash the table.

We have a lot done in the living room, but I still need a couple more pillows, need to sew my curtains (fabric is cut), and I need to find some art to hang over the fireplace. If you happen to stumble upon anything fun with aquas/limes and maybe a touch of coral - let me know!

Yesss! Our household goods arrived...and so did my cute pillows.

Thank goodness the movers came today and delivered our household goods. It had been one month and one day since they came to pack up our things, and I was beyond ready to see my things again.

My house is a big disaster area right now, but I did take the time to pull out my new pillows. Because I couldn't find pre-made pillows in the colors I wanted, I am lucky to have talented friends who made these for me. My friend Jill appliqued designs on a couple of pieces of fabric, and my friend Amy sewed the pillows together once I threw in the towel and decided the piping was just too much for me to do.

So, thanks friends! I love them!

Sticking to My Day Job

When it comes to sewing, I was definitely not cut out (pun intended) to be a seamstress, so I will definitely be sticking to my day job. That is, once I have some jobs rolling in.

Yesterday I made a tiny curtain (pic on right) for my kitchen, and today I worked on cutting the fabric for the panels in my living room (pic on left). No worries...I will have lots of aqua and lime throughout the house, but those fabrics won't be beside each other.

I also got the first coat of white paint on my chandelier. I picked it up at an antique store in Darien, GA, and I'm quite sure they would throw a fit if they knew I was painting it. It was originally brown/bronze with amber prisms/etc. I'm planning to make a cord cover from the same fabric that is behind it and load it down with aqua and lime prisms. These are the prisms that I ordered today. I have another idea of something to add, but I'm going to have to consult my chandelier making friend Beth first.  :)

Now let's just hope the photo jobs start coming so I can put the sewing machine away!  :)

One of my first finds...

Fort Walton Beach is THE place to come if you like junkin'! There must be at least three or four antique store/thrift store type places on every corner. I will probably never see my mama when she comes up for a visit.  :)

I have already lucked up and found some things in a couple of these stores. I found a set of dining room chairs and a fireplace mantle.

Brian and Randy put the rustic mantle up for me Saturday. I had to give them some "jobs" since the movers never showed up with our household goods.

I'm undecided on whether I want to leave it as is or if I want to try out some chalk painting on it. I guess I will have to wait until my furniture arrives. I'm hoping the movers will show up this Friday. Now if only we can keep Tropical Storm Chantal in line and keep her from heading west.

Lovin' Our New Home

Even though things have been crazy around here, we are loving our new home.  A few days ago we were pretty exhausted after a long, hot day of working and some neighbors (Dan, Debra, & granddaughter Sophia) stopped by bearing a gift. Now I don't know about you, but when you're tired and stressed - I can't think of anything that would be better than a plate of yummy, chocolate chip cookies.

The cookies were delivered on a foil-wrapped frisbee and topped with another frisbee.  The note handwritten by Sophia made it even sweeter. How cute is that?

They even included information about their church, Shoreline Church, which was also on the frisbees. Although we have already found a church we think we will like, I always think it is wonderful when people extend an invitation to newcomers. It really makes us feel welcome.

Happy Day After the Fourth!

We spent our first 4th of July here doing hard labor all day. We started at 6:00 a.m. and really didn't stop until we heard the fireworks going off last night. We finally have all the new flooring in throughout the house, so now we are painting...the entire interior.

I cleaned the walls, spackled, and taped off windows while Brian painted. Fortunately my sweet mama came and kept Cole occupied so we could get a lot done.


BEFORE:

I don't think I have ever had a white wall in my life, but I decided I wanted a crisp, clean white throughout the house this time. Brian is convinced we will have too much white in the house, and I'm trying to convince him that we will have lots of color elsewhere.

DURING: (My handsome painter getting it done!) The wainscoting will be painted bright white also. I found a chandelier to replace the light - I just need to decide what color it will be.

Now that the house is almost completely painted, it just hit me that I have a three year old  BOY. What in the world was I thinking? I guess I need to quit blogging and google how to remove dirty hand prints from white paint.  :)

A Surprise Sand Sculpture Proposal

Yesterday I got a last minute call from a sweet mom who was in a bind and trying to help out her son. He was planning to propose to his girlfriend on the beach on Okaloosa Island with a sand sculpture, and their photographer backed out on them at the last minute.

I was so happy that she found me and that I was able to go capture this for them. The guy that built the sculpture did an amazing job. His name is Mark Flynn, and you can find him at Sand Odyssey.

To see more images from this session just click on any of the photos below.

A pool? A pond? A mirage?

One of the most wonderful things about our new house is that it has a pool. Uh...I mean a pond. Actually it feels more like a mirage.

All my life I begged my mama for a pool. Isn't that the dream of every child growing up in the deep south?

So finally I have this marvelous, big hole in my backyard. The problem? We have black algae. If you know about that - well - you know my headache. If you don't - well just hope you don't find out. It's nearly impossible to rid your pool of it. We have scrubbed and scrubbed, treated it with algaecide, and shocked it. But we still have some stubborn black algae remaining and popping up. Tomorrow I will spend the day rubbing chlorine tablets all over the sides of the pool before we treat it again.

We closed on the house two weeks ago and we have yet to be able to go for a swim in the pool. I'm starting to feel like it's a mirage. Or maybe we should just turn it into a pond. Surely the fish would love all that algae.

Wish me luck - I'm ready to take a dip. And if you have any experience and tips, please share them!
If not, be sure to bring your fishing pole when you come to visit.  :)

Home, Salty Home

After spending ten days in two hotels and a condo, we are finally in our new house. We don't have our household goods yet (we literally have two mattresses and that is it!) and our house is a disaster zone because we are having all new flooring installed, but we have managed to find a few peaceful moments here and there in the middle of the chaos. One of the great things about living on such a narrow island is that we can walk right across the road to the beach or walk about three minutes to get to the sound. I think Brian and Cole will create lots of great memories fishing in this spot.

I will be posting lots of things on this blog - house photos, beach photo sessions, and more so bookmark it if you like and check back when you have time!