This room has been mostly complete for a while now, as our guests can attest to, but I just hadn’t put it on site. I toss around ideas for those extra homey items to add but just haven’t found those “this is it” items. Although as I walk by this room daily, I’ve decided that I shouldn’t put off sharing. With its own bathroom, which needs a couple more renovations, it’s a space I hope others find welcoming.
It took some time but our half bath is complete (mostly). We had replaced the light, curtain, mirror and faucet first. Then after much consideration, Ryan made a countertop from butcher block and found a copper sink, which he wanted something unique. I had the idea to hang wallpaper for a focal point! Yep, I didn’t think I’d be one to want to hang wallpaper but I found peel-and-stick and figured how hard can it be?! With some help from Ryan, we were able to get it stuck to the wall and trimmed. Overall, it came out really well. We do still want to repaint the vanity to fix some imperfections so that is to come yet.
After a big 5th year anniversary trip to Hawaii, for our 6th we decided to take a long weekend to explore some of our local area. Weston, MO, was our destination for the day, after a stop at an unique local coffee shop in Leavenworth, KS and a quick stop at the Weston Bend State Park for a short hike. Weston was once a port along the Missouri River where steamboats docked but a flood in the 1880s shifted the river south, slowing the population growth of the town. While in Weston we walked the historical main street of shops, ate at a local pizza shop, learned the history of the town, and even did a wine tasting in an old church.
The rest of the weekend we revisited some of our usual stops during late September – early October. After a day of traveling north, we then headed south to Louisburg-taking in the Cider Mill, where eating apple cider donuts and have a glass of cider is a must. Picking our own pumpkins from the field was on the way home. We always tend to get more than we planned but our home definitely looks like fall.
We ended the weekend with a walk with the dogs at the Edgerton Park and an afternoon at a Sporting KC soccer game. The Chinese takeout to conclude the evening was just what we needed. We did have a nicer meal out the next weekend-Lidia’s in the Freight House District. On to year 7 and the adventures to come.
Although still a work in progress, I’ll share our guest bathroom pop of color: the vanity-painted in Olive Grove. The color pairs well with the brushed gold knobs, faucet/shower fixtures and new light. The huge mirror needed something (and we didn’t feel like replacing it) so Ryan made a frame for it to add some farmhouse/rustic feel. We’ll make changes to the shower door and flooring yet but figured I’d share what we’ve done so far.
Many months ago we started talking about changing the color of the kitchen island and decided on Vine Ripened Tomato by Magnolia Home. Ryan had a couple weeks off between jobs, so it was the perfect time to complete this project. It is definitely a change but adds some much needed color instead of grey. We had already changed the knobs, handles, and faucet to a more modern look.
This year our Memorial Day weekend was filled with home projects, fun and food. We started out with buying various plants for the yard and Ryan worked on our water feature by the back patio with the pump we bought in the West Bottoms last summer.
I won tickets through work to the Saturday night Sporting KC soccer game, the first game at full capacity in over a year. It’s always a fun time and SKC won! Sunday we needed some time outdoors and a walk around the Kill Creek Park was just what we needed-even went up in the observation tower. Monday was a slower, but good, start with brunch at home (egg casserole, cinnamon rolls, strawberries, mimosas). We got ambitious and decided to start a painting project of the guest bedroom and bathroom. The walls are all painted but the final project isn’t complete so you’ll have to wait for those pictures.
A tv show has made the city famous, shiplap is standard décor and the silos is the place to be. Last week we took a couple days off and went on a road trip to Waco, Texas, home of the Baylor Bears and Chip and Joanna Gaines. I had been wanting to go see the Magnolia hype for some time now and we were in need of a getaway. So what did we all do? Thursday we arrived and checked out the downtown area and a couple of shops.
Friday we began our Magnolia tour with a stop at Magnolia Press coffee shop, then walked the grounds of the Silos, stopping in at the shops, church, garden house and the bakery. Since it was rainy and cooler, a drive to McGregor took us to the Magnolia House and Carriage House they renovated into vacation rentals. We made some stops at a couple antique stores along the highway, seeing what we could find. We wanted to be outside so we headed to the Waco Mammoth National Monument, a location where over 20 mammoths have been discovered, many of these were females and their young.
Saturday started with a trip to Magnolia Table (had to wait about 40 minutes) for breakfast and it was delicious. We’d booked a Fixer Upper tour for late morning, which did not disappoint. Our tour guide was fantastic, showing us properties bought by the Gaines’, several houses they’ve featured on Fixer Upper and some Waco history. There are several of the homes that are now listed on Airbnb and we got to walk around one of them (Three Little Pigs house). With stops at The Little Shop on Bosque, the original store, and Harp Design Co., the tour ended up being an hour longer than it was scheduled. Saturday afternoon was spent outside and driving around, with an evening walk around the Baylor University campus.
On Sunday, we made the trek back to Kansas but not without some purchases including baked goods and home décor. Now when we watch Fixer Upper we recognize some of the places we saw. It may have been cloudy and rainy the majority of the time we were there but still had a enjoyed the long weekend getaway.
I signed up for a 5k race and a couple days before Ryan decided to join me. It had been at least two years since either of us did a race, Covid cancelled all races last year. We both had moments of struggle during the run but at least the photographers got pictures of us smiling. This particular race was Noah’s Bandage Run, where the proceeds go towards research for pediatric cancer at Children’s Mercy. Now which race will be next?
