happy easter

Joint holidays are the best. It's so fun to have my family and Sam's join in to celebrate. In this case, we celebrated Easter with so much food and lots of sunshine on the lake. It's a blessing to have such wonderful people around us to celebrate that He has risen. 

Sam & I

Mother/Daughters

Snell family

The Hass/Snell sisters

Happy Easter!

diy: from maxi to infinity

So, I finally learned how to use my sewing machine thanks to my sister's expertise. This was such an exciting Christmas present, so I'm happy I can put it to good use! Watch out world...

Our first project was a triangular bag. I felt quite proud of myself! If you didn't look too closely at the seams, you'd almost never guess it was self made. Next sewing extravaganza came from an old dress up skirt my sister and I found while cleaning out my parent's attic. While I would never (and I repeat, never!) wear it as is these days, I knew it was worth a repurpose. 

It was fairly simple since the size and shape of the fabric was just about right. I had to bunch up one end to event out the two sides I sewed together, but that also gave it a little more volume. It's an infinity scarf that you don't double, but the fullness of it matches that of a double-upper! Here's the before and after Instagram shot: 

This, too, has me inspired to take on more sewing projects. Up next? Curtains for the second bedroom/den.

the most beautiful buffet

The search is finally off! We've been looking out for a beautiful buffet to fill a void in our family room for quite some time. After a few years of constantly circulating various pieces of furniture in and out of the space, we found love in a little boutique in Bloomington. 

Isn't she a beaut?! This vintage buffet came from Lola Rue in Bloomington, Ind. (friend/follow here in Facebook). We had loved and lost a few great pieces from several different stores or sellers, so we learned that if we loved it, we better jump on it... QUICK! It's just the right size (nearly twice the size of a mini desk we had in the space just before) to maximize the space and stay proportionate to the large family room. 

Now that it's in place, I have some serious inspiration to make more changes in the room. Up next, a new wall paint color. We're going with a simply gray color. In addition, the trim is going white to match the rest of the house. Another project for our built ins is also in the pipeline. When that stuff is complete, I'll be ecstatic to share. This room has been on my list of upgrades for awhile now. 

So excited and so inspired! Stand by, friends.

starting over

Sometimes all you need is a fresh start. Today is that day!

Previously, my blog was a jumble of goodies with little direction and not nearly enough attention. And, after a few attempts to revamp, it continued to feel jumbled. So, here I am... starting over. New name, new host and new everything.

Writing has always been a love of mine, and I'm hoping that with a fresh start I can put a little more thought into each post I share. I want this blog to be fun and therapeutic at the same time. I want to share posts about what I've been up to, fun memories, home projects, favorite recipes and everything in between as I did before, but I also want to put some love into each post. 

I envision some Saturday mornings spent sitting on the porch with my laptop and a little Starbucks tea to keep my company while I write up my next post. Or an evening with a glass of wine in our quiet front room away from the television. Maybe I'll even be that person who sits in the dark corner of the coffee shop for some peace and quiet mixed with a little writing extravaganza. Who knows! 

I figured the name - Playing House - was fitting considering I'm just a 20-something Mrs. who plays house a lot with DIY projects, nesting in our little house and trying new recipes. With a little emphasis on the "playing" as well considering I still like to play like a 20-something, too. Ha! Either way, I'm excited to start fresh with Playing House blog. 

New name, new host and new everything. Hooray!