Hangin' Around the Moon!

When I was leaving work Friday afternoon, Cheryl at the front desk stopped me because she had a package for me. Little did I know, it would be the inspiration behind this blog entry!

The package was a media kit, promoting the Audubon Zoo's annual fundraiser, Whitney Z00-To-Do. It's a beautiful event...an evening under the stars at the zoo. People dress up in seersucker suits and cocktail dresses, and dance and enjoy great food from some of the city's best restaurants. It's certainly a fun and unique way to experience the zoo. It's also the zoo's largest fundraiser. Last year, proceeds benefited a new water park for kids. This year, the money raised from Zoo-To-Do will help install $1 milllion worth of lights to illuminate the zoo at night for the evening hours. The event is impressive, and so was the media kit!

In addition to the usual press release, inside my bag of zoo goodies included homemade cookies decorated like animals, a towel (to use at the new water park!), some bath toys, and a koozie...but what really caught my eye was the most adorable door-hang decoration...a hand-painted crescent moon, with a star hanging from the tip. Of course, as soon as I got home, I hung it up on my front door:

My husband came home early, so we went for a walk. I decided to make my blog this week about door hangs in Uptown. Door hangs are a great way to show personality. They are cheap enough to change out frequently to update your home. I found many homes with cute Easter-theme decorations donning the front door:

A wreath with eggs and white fluffy feathers. Cute pastels for Easter.

Here's a home with cute Easter bunnies on the front doors.

I love the front entrance of this home, with the two flags and topiaries on each side of the door. Two Easter wreaths also hang on the front doors.

Here's a closer look at the entrance...don't you love the porch swing?!

Pink bunnies! So cute!

As we were making our way through the neighborhood, we came across a home that had a moon just like mine! So I took a picture of it:

Two houses down from that one, another moon! At that moment, my blog changed from finding cute door hangs, to finding homes with the cute moon: 

It's hard to see it in this picture, but here is another home with the moon!

Another beautiful Uptown home, another Audubon Zoo moon!

Can you see the moon on the door? Trust me, it's there!

When we got home, I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment for my moon! To me, it's more than a nice gift from the zoo, it's a sign that I am making my mark in the community! Our home may not be as large as the others, but we all have the same moon!

Why so blue?

When I first moved to New Orleans, I noticed many of the homes have blue porch ceilings. In fact, I counted around 30 homes between my house and Audubon Park here in Uptown. Turns out, it's an age old Southern tradition.

Here's a look at some of the houses with porch ceilings in various shades of blue:

After talking to neighbors and reading other blogs, I found the top two myths behind the blue porch ceilings:

Myth #1: The blue wards "spirits" or "ghosts" away from the home. Afterall, NOLA is the most haunted city  in the country, so I guess this myth makes sense!

Myth #2: The blue looks like the sky, and keeps the bugs off of the porch.

Whatever reason behind the blue porch ceilings, I think it is cute! Because of that, I decided to paint my porch ceiling blue (with permission from my landlord, of course!).



Here is a look at the "before"...The ceiling matches the color of the home. It's nice, but doesn't pop! ps: doesn't the black door look great (see last week's post)?!



The first step was taping the ceiling...because you don't want your paint job to look sloppy! I recruited my husband to help me
( I suggest at least two people working on this project).



Let the painting begin! We borrowed an 8-foot ladder from our friends Danny and Jocelyn (thank you!)...my husband rolled the blue paint on the ceiling (1 coat). Then I went back with a brush and painted between all the creases. This process took a very long time, but it was worth it in the end!

Our finished blue porch ceiling! Doesn't look great!

By adding the blue ceiling, the house pops! It adds just enough color, and is a subtle change that makes a dramatic improvement to the home's overall appearance and curb appeal!

 



What I used for this project:

- 8-foot ladder

- 6-foot ladder (one for me and one for my husband)

- 2 quarts of Sherwin-Williams "Vast Sky" paint color

- 1 roller

- 1 paint brush

- tape

I spent $24 on paint, $7 on the paint brush, $11 for the roller, and we borrowed both ladders. The whole project was under $50! It took around 3 hours from start to finish, so allow yourself plenty of time.

Why so blue? Because it looks great and an easy update for any home with a front porch!

First Impressions

Who wouldn't agree with me that first impressions leave a lasting imprint on one's view of you?

My husband and I recently celebrated our three-year anniversary, which got me thinking about the first time we met. It was during a job interview in Lincoln, NE. I was applying  for a reporter gig at the ABC affiliate. Wanting to look my professional best, I bought a new suit, went to the salon for a good grooming, and spent hours in the hotel when I got there, applying makeup and putting on my best television reporter "face". I was nervous when I walked into the building, but I looked damn good, if I do say so myself! Well, little did I know, the first person I would meet once I walked into the newsroom was my future co-worker, the weekend sports anchor...who eventually became my husband. I remember saying hello to him and that's about it. I was so nervous about my impending job interview, that I didn't pause to "check him out" as some would say. I politely shook his hand and smiled, then walked into my boss' office for my interview. That was it.  But if you would ask my husband, he'd have a much different story to tell.

He tells me the first time he saw  me, he thought I was the most beautiful women he had ever seen. When I walked into the newsroom, my tailored suit and freshly high-lighted blonde hair took his breath away. He says he studdered when he introduced himself to me, but I don't remember that. Apparently, according to my husband, his palms were as sweaty as mine when he shook my hand. As I walked away, he says all he could do was think about me and hope I got the job. Now THAT is a first impression you want to make on someone, my friends!

 I have a feeling things would have been different had I shown up for the interview without taking a shower  and looking like I just rolled out of bed (which, unfortunately, is the way my husband now sees me most often)! First impressions are indeed, VERY important!!

The same goes for your home. Your front entrance should give people a sense of what the inside of your home looks like. If you have cute furniture, potted flowers, and an accent color on your door that perfectly complements your house, then one would more than likely imagine the inside of your home well kept and tasteful too (even if it's not)! The best way to "fool" the outside world that you are neat, organized and have great taste in design and decorating, is to have a front entrance that makes a statement and leaves people wanting to peek through your windows (which is why you need nice window treatments for privacy :) )!

I needed to work on the entrance to my home, so, as always, I got inspiration by walking around my neighborhood. I fould there were a few quick and easy things I could do to give my home a "facelift". Here's what I did:



Here is my cute Uptown home. It's adorable, has plently of character, and in a great location. However, there isn't much color. 

To immediately improve the curb appeal of the house, I had my husband take down the satellite dish attached on the front of the home by a previous renter. I then cut down the overgrown plant, painted the front door black, and added red chairs and two topiary plants. A few minor fixes anyone can do, that truly make a HUGE difference!



Here's a close up of the entrance. Note: The two plants are fake. I came to terms a long time ago that I do not have a green thumb! Of course, real plants are better, but for now, I'm sticking with the fake topiaries! Stay tuned...a future blog entry will take a look at plants that even landscaping-challenged people like me can keep alive!


For the project, I spent $12 on paint (oil-based, black Sherwin Williams), $12 on a paintbrush, $40 total on the chairs (got them on clearance at Pier One) and $30 total for the topiaries and planters....less than $100!

Tips if working on a project similiar to this:

-  First and foremost, keep a glass of wine close by (Pinot Grigio is my favorite)!
-  When using oil-based paint, buy a nice paintbrush. The paint is thick and goopy and if you have a cheap brush, you might lose a few bristles!
-  Purchase paint thinner to clean off your nice, expensive brush when you are finished!!! Or, you may end up like me and have to toss it in the trash because you can't get the paint off (it is oil-based after all)!
- Tack on at least an extra hour to the time you think it is going to take you to paint...because things always go longer than planned!
- This goes without saying, but look for discounts at nice furniture stores. I found two nice chairs marked down 75% ...saved a ton of money by waiting to find a deal...patience pays off.

This is only the beginning of my front entrance facelift...hopefully I'll have more finished by next week! Stop by and check out my blog then for more tips and updates!

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog! The name says it all...I am an Uptown Girl! In fact, when I was a kid, my mother told me I resembled Christie Brinkely when she strutted her stuff along side Billy Joel in the "Uptown Girl" video from the 80s!

My childhood idol, Christie Brinkley!

Twenty some odd years later, I am living in the beautiful Uptown neighborhood of New Orleans...only, unlike Christie Brinkley, I am not rich and famous (however, some people may give me the "local celebrity" status, given I am a reporter for the local ABC affiliate)!

Vibrant historic homes with freshly manicured yards line the streets of my neighborhood. Some of the homes are the traditional "shotgun" style (see picture below), while others are huge historic mansions with wrap-around porches, large windows and beautiful home accents. Unfortunately for me, the houses in this area are as expensive as they are beautiful, and my reporter salary does not support the lifestyle I long to have! Because my husband and I have not won the lottery or make six-figure salaries, we cannot afford to take on a mortage, so we do the next best thing: rent a cute three-bedroom house two blocks from boutique-shopping heaven, Magazine Street! I feel very fortunate to be living in such a nice area. Luckily, my landlord is also my friend, and she allows me to make small design changes to my place when I become inspired (which happens often)!

This blog will keep track of my projects around the house. I will post "before" and "after" pictures to show you the transformation! Stay tuned! More to come soon!

Some historic "shotgun" style homes in Uptown.  Learn more about "shotgun" homes by clicking here.

A cute home with an American flag out front. Flags are a great way to add color and show personality! BTW, notice the picture looks miniature? I edited this picture using the "tilt-shift" technic! You can too by clicking here!