New Address

No, we're not moving out of The Jerv!  We just have a new website address.  You can now see this site at www.RuskLife.com

See you there!

Sprucing up the Guest Bedroom

The other day at Home Goods I spied a mirror that I thought would look great in our living room above the console table.  When I got it home it turned out to be way too big for that spot. 

I really liked the mirror though so I found another spot for it above the guest room bed.  We haven't done a thing to our guest bedroom since we've moved in, besides put some things on the shelves. 

I used our stud finder to find the stud in the wall at the head of the bed.  Thankfully it was right in the middle of the wall.  I then drilled a small hole and put in a screw.  The mirror has one spot for a screw at the top so I didn't have to worry about leveling and measuring two screws which was really nice.

 

I think the mirror is a great addition to the room!  What do you think?



London!!

Elliott and I booked our tickets to the UK tonight!!! We can't wait! We're flying to London the first week in September, spending a couple days there visiting Elliott's friend Sam, then spending a couple days in Edinburgh Scotland, followed by a couple more days in Dublin.

What IS that thing?

So when I brought home a big glass dome from work Elliott thought it was so weird.  My company was selling off things that used to be in stores to raise money for charity.  It was a dollar and I thought that it would look good in our house.  I can't claim that the idea was all my own though.  The family in my favorite home blog, Young House Love, have a similar one in their hallway. 

So today I stopped by Target on my way home from work and bought this beauty.  It's a fake arrangement with succulents.


It fit a little snug under the glass, but I think it looks pretty cool!  One step closer to a finished living room!

My current to-do list for the living room:

• Hang binds and curtains
• Get new furniture and move existing furniture to the basement
• Buy a new colorful rug
• Buy a console table for the space in front of the front door
• Buy a fun shaped mirror for over the console table
• Buy art for the walls
• Find a bright colored patterned upholstered chair
• Hide the wires coming from the TV
• Buy a new fireplace screen to replace the existing brass one

Basement Bar

Elliott and I want to make our basement a comfortable place to hang out.  We want to make sure that we get as much use out of it as possible.  One thing we've been talking about adding is a bar.  I've always imagined a bar that you would pull up a stool to, but after looking at Pinterest I've started to consider other options.  I'm really liking the bars right up against the wall so they are a place to make drinks and keep your barware, but you head back to the living space afterward.  Beow are the pictures that I am planning on modeling our bar after.

New Bathroom Art

I picked this guy up at Target already framed. I had originally bought it for the hallway but when Elliott mentioned needing artwork for above the toilet in the downstairs bathroom I immediately remembered it. I think it looks great!

Bathroom Remodel on Hold

When Elliott and I bought The Jerv we knew we were going to have to remodel the bathroom.  It was so outdated and didn't look pretty at all.  About the time that we remodeled the basement the shower in our upstairs bathroom lost all of it's water pressure.  Not cool shower!!  At least it waited until the downstairs bathroom was done so we can shower down there. 

I had big dreams for this little bathroom! The first thing I wanted to do was take down all of the old 50's tile and replace it with beadboard.  Something like this.

 

 

I think that since we would be ripping down the tile, that it would be easier/cheaper to put up beadboard instead of new drywall.

And I was thinking of replacing the old fooring with a much nicer tile like these

 

The other plan I have for the bathroom is to add shelves above the toilet.  Our bathroom is small so we need as much storage as we can get!

Something like this

 

 

 

 

Elliott and I have been saving for this bathroom remodel and were planning on starting sometime this year. That was until decided that the money would be better spent on a vacation! So now I'm researching flights and hotels instead of sinks and tile.