My 8 Year Blog Anniversary -With Tons of Before and Afters

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I can't believe that I'm about to write this next sentence. I have been blogging for 8 years today! Holy moly, batman! When I started this blog, I never ever thought that I would still be doing it this many years later, nor what it would become. Or better yet, what my house would become. Blogging has changed a lot since then. Everything from picture quality to how you market your blog. If you look back in my older posts, you'll definitely notice the difference in picture quality. You'll even notice the difference in the pictures below. I have learned so much since then. When I started, I didn't own a single tool, now I have more than my husband...way more than my husband. Not only has my house changed a lot since when I started, but I feel that I have as a person. 

I started this blog because I was always doing crafty things, and I loved to show them off to family and friends. But then I moved to the middle of nowhere in farm country and lost the opportunity to invite friends and family over on a whim...and actually have them show up :) So, this became my creative outlet. 

When we bought our house 8 years ago, it was brand spankin' new. Which I hated. I wanted an older vintage home with tons of character. I wanted projects to do, things to rip up, walls to paint. I didn't get that in this house, but I fell in love with it the minute we stepped through the doors. I love the 20 foot ceilings in our entry way and living room. Love the layout of our great room. I even adore the french doors in our front room...even if it does make us have 2 front doors 10 feet apart :) I love all the light that shines through the house, and have come to love the natural knotty alder wood that adorns most rooms. Well, I can deal without it in the kitchen just because it makes it look like a peach exploded in there :) You'll see what I mean and why I say that. And best of all, I love the arches that 'separate' our kitchen, dining room, and living room. 

Even though it didn't have the charm I was initially looking for, I was able to add some older character here and there and am always imaging new fun things to do to add more. 

As with every year, I like to take a stroll down memory lane and show my before and afters of the house. All of these before pictures appeared on my blog in the first few years for some reason or another, so it's a true depiction of how easy it is to change as space on a budget :) It's also good to look back to see how much can change in even a year. The biggest changes this past year was the master bedroom and my new flooring. Enjoy!

Entry way before:

Entry way after: 

Board and Batten: Tutorial

Entry before, again:

And after: 

Front room entry before:

And after:

Barn door: tutorial

Front room before:

Front room after:

Console Table: Target     Sofa Bed: Ikea      Bench: Target     Rug: Rugs USA

Before:

After:

Faux fireplace DIY: Tutorial      Wire Hamper: Amazon    Bench: Target   Plank/Shiplap wall; Tutorial

Living room before:

Living room after:

Before:

After:

(Rug: Amazon      Clock: Gordmans     Card Catalog: Hobby Lobby)

Fireplace and (lack of) built ins before:

Afters:

Built ins: Tutorial      Sliding Barn Door Console/Media Cabinet: Tutorial

Before:

After:

Dining room before:

Dining room after:

Jute rug: Amazon    Farmhouse Chairs: Amazon     Striped Turkish Towel/Blanket: Amazon   Sun Burst Mirror tutorial here    Shiplap wall: Tutorial

Master bedroom before:

Master bedroom after:

White Ruffle Bedding: Crane and Canopy      Striped Pillows (plus quilt) HERE    Square board and batten: Tutorial     Night Stands: Tutorial

Master bathroom before:

Master bathroom after:

Farmhouse Wood Shelves: Tutorial

Guest bathroom before:

Guest bathroom after:

$60 bathroom makeover

Powder bath before:

Powder bath after:

Painted wall: Tutorial

Guest room before ( a few years into blogging. This actually used to be a craft storage room full of crap :) )

Now nursery:

Full Nursery Tour: Here

Guest bedroom before:

Guest bedroom, now little girls room after:

Full Tour: Here

And I never like to share my kitchen, but it is what it is. A peach bomb. The cabinets match the floors which used to match the walls. I did paint the walls white, so that helped. Now, until I can get through the husband red tape to paint these cabinets, this is how it still looks :/
Before:

Still:

I have plans for this island though, just need to find time to do it! Plus, I'll be adding some backsplash, so hopefully that will make a little different in here :)

Hope you enjoyed the tour! If you want to view more pictures of each room, just click on my "Home Tour" link in the menu :)

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