Addition Reveal: Master Bathroom

How is it that it feels like we are in the thick of Summer, and at the same time school feels like it’s right around the corner?? Time definitely does not wait for us to spend our seasons how we would like, does it! For this reason I have been much slower to share finished rooms in our home than I had planned. As our kids get older Summertime looks different than how it used to - these young humans are now excitedly making their own big plans, like biking to 7-Eleven for slurpees with friends, or spending an entire day planning and executing a variety of trick-shots throughout the neighborhood. These are good days, they just involve me a little less. It’s an interesting balance as a Mom of older kids/young teens to be present and available to them, but not waiting around and watching your own life pass by.

I am incredibly thankful for the passions God led me to discover when I was a young Mom. It was such a time of revelation for me and one thing that came from it is this business I so enjoy! Helping others truly love the home they are in is a gift to my heart. It’s creative and connective, both which add so much color to this life!

Adding on to our home has been a steep learning experience. The number of decisions felt endless not too long ago! The master bathroom was a space I anticipated having a lot of detailed decisions to make, but in real time ended up not being as stressful as I thought. We had a loose idea of what we wanted the bathroom to feel like, and when it came time to decide on each element, that idea was really useful for basing each decision.

I wanted to use a variety of organic textures in this space so the room as a whole would just feel soft and peaceful. The stone tile floor and the wicker linen/towel cabinet were two elements I was most excited about and wanted to build around.

The vanity was a tough one because I was hoping to find something in natural wood. After a lot of research it was apparent that it just didn’t fit our budget, so I took a gamble and went with this matte black piece instead and absolutely love how it turned out! Keeping the remaining elements simple and understated maintain that soft, organic feel. I even sprayed the original yellow-gold hardware on the vanity black so it would just be visually simple and unfussy.

After spending 12 years not even being able to fit in our bathroom at the same time (literally - Matt and I are used to waiting outside the door for the other to be finished because it was the size of an airplane bathroom), this space is a new experience! Tremendously grateful for the opportunity to add this space to our home and to even enjoy the details that we got to pick together! Matt and I discovered we are both VERY decisive when we are tired of walking tile aisles, and that our capacity to look at tile is about 45 minutes. Hah!

I’m thinking our Rec Room will be the next to share on here! Another very collaborative project with Matt which makes it that much more special. Thank you so much for stopping by today! You make these finished projects that much more fun to celebrate.

Room links

Vanity
Vanity Faucets
Mirrors
Lights
Shower Tile (with gray grout)
Shower Faucet
Bathroom Floor (with white grout)
Wicker Cabinet
Wall paint: Snowbound by Sherwin Williams

Room designed by us, built by Veterans Next Mission

Small Step To A Healthier Home

Hi Friends! I already checked off my only New Years resolution this past week - to get a physical! It’s so hard to make these appointments when you’re feeling well and have a busy schedule. Visiting the doctor is something you carve out time for only when you’re sick, right? Matt and I both needed to get physicals as it had been a few years, so we made a date out of it and scheduled ours back to back. Mine started with a series of questions about my lifestyle, (Do you eat a well balanced diet? Do you exercise regularly? Do you get enough sleep?), and with the choice of answers being limited to Always, Inconsistently, and Never, I found myself in the unavailable category of ‘Interested’.

I am always interested in taking better care of myself and my family. I have spent many a late night in bed browsing information on essential oils, cancer fighting foods, and apparent toxins found in sunscreen. There is so much information out there - too much for me to handle, that’s for sure! It just isn’t feasible for us to make the number of changes that would be needed to avoid every single possibility of sickness. But small changes we can do!

This past year I became more aware, (through my sister, actually!), of some of the harmful ingredients in our day to day hygiene products, (soaps, lotions, hair care, etc). A doctor friend of mine who blogs about these topics shared a list of where to find healthier, ‘clean’ products. As I scrolled through, thinking I’m going to change our entire regime, I was stunned by the prices - and the quantities! $15 for 12oz of shampoo. Are you kidding? There are 5 heads of hair to wash in this house! And after dealing with lice this time last year I am not skimping on hair washing, people!!!

It couldn’t have been better timing when Public Goods reached out to ask if I wanted to try some of their products. In their first email introducing themselves, they shared their desire to offer cleaner products for every day prices competitive to what you could find in a typical store. Game changer!

Public Goods ingredients are similar to their packaging - they leave out a lot more than they put in. Both are clean, simple and high quality.

Most impressive is the variety of products! They offer personal care, household cleaning supplies, linens, paper, oils - it’s an impressive line that doesn’t stop at just hygiene, or just household, as a lot of companies do. Since Public Goods is an online company, you pay a (very low) yearly membership fee in order to purchase their (very well priced) products. Items are delivered extremely fast, (mine arrived 2 days from when I placed the order), making planning ahead a cinch.

Purse friendly and pretty, too.

Health is always something we can do better on and I am okay with that. We’re still going to drink Swiss Miss and grab a weekly $5 deal at Little Caesars. But this is one change that is easy for me to make that I feel is worth it. These decisions are so personal as everyone needs to decide for themselves what changes are feasible for them. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have tried Public Goods products and decide if they are worth swapping into our daily routine. If you would like to try, too, you can purchase one little item and then try out a free Travel Kit with smaller sizes of more items with code STYLEMUTT at checkout!

Cheers to baby steps and small changes towards better health! A huge thank you to my Mom and Dad for lending their BEAUTIFUL master bath so I could share these products with you. (You DO NOT want to see my bathrooms). And thank you so much for coming by today!

Simply Set, Fully Enjoyed || A Holiday Collaboration with Carthage Co.

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving, Friends! We hope you have been able to enjoy time with those near and dear to you and that your hearts are feeling full. We are delighted to continue the celebrating on here with you today through a partnership with a wonderful company who is hosting a giveaway!

Allow us to introduce you to  Carthage Co., an ethically responsible company creating beautiful stoneware with local manufacturers in North Africa.

We're proud to work with local manufacturers that employ and empower their communities with dignity and equity. We believe in sustainable entrepreneurial growth that would rather partner with, than compete against.  -Carthage Co.

So their ethics are sound, but what about their pieces? Well, my photos don't do the beauty and quality of their products justice, but take a gander at some pieces I've had the pleasure of getting my hands on these past few weeks.

What I find so beautiful about these pieces is their quiet presence on our table. I don't want anything to distract from the faces that gather here. I desire for everyone to be able to see one another, to talk to each other and pass dishes around with ease, so I keep centerpieces simple and to a minimum. When I set my table it is with one purpose in mind - togetherness.

Carthage Co. stoneware dishes support that goal with pieces that are beautifully simple, uniquely designed, and allow quality time to happen around them.

-Pitcher in 'Rose' (10 colors available)

-La Marsa Dinner Plate in 'Chalk' (5 colors available)
-La Marsa Dessert Plate in 'Muslin' (5 colors available)

As I have gotten older I've come to appreciate a few things I once took for granted: higher quality pieces for my home, raw beauty straight from this earth, and most of all, time with those I hold close to my heart. If you've spotted something of interest, (whether for you or someone else), or you resonate with Carthage Co.'s mission, I invite you to enter a Giveaway they are graciously offering the StyleMutt Home community for a $50 gift card to their shop! Please leave a comment below of a special item you've spotted in their shop that's piqued your interest - your comment will be your entry. Entry closes at midnight tonight so this is a quick one, guys!

Winner will be announced in this post tomorrow, so if you enter be sure to come back tomorrow to check the results! And whether you see your name or not, all are welcome to use the discount code STYLEMUTT15 for 15% off their entire order now through December 5!

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by today! Have a wonderful rest of your holiday weekend!