This is a project that I didn’t think we would ever see finished. When the plans we had to build a new home fell through (thank you COVID) we decided to finish our basement! Throughout this huge project I’ve been asked the question “Are you happy you didn’t move?’ and I can honestly say it was the biggest blessing in disguise!! It was hard to see at the time, but now sitting here I feel so incredibly happy for where we are!!

For our basement we knew we wanted to build 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchenette, a living room, and a game room! It was a bit overwhelming to think about all the work but also super exciting. We knew it wasn’t going to happen over night, but I’m excited to say we are officially finished with phase one of our basement build!

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hunter Fan Company. All opinions are 100% mine.

I recently gave my living room a little update. I have been really loving the more eclectic, lived-in look than the matchy matchy look. I wanted my living room to have a warm, inviting feel with a mix of old vintage and new modern designs.

I started with my sectional pillows. Instead of picking 2 or 3 of the same throw pillows and repeating them throughout the sofa, I picked 7 different pillows that all complemented each other but were still different. This really makes the room feel like things have been collected over time and not staged. Next I changed my rug to a larger size. Our living room is pretty big and our previous 8×10 rug didn’t adequately fill out the space. I went with this new rug because of all its amazing texture. I’m a sucker for good high texture pieces!

The biggest change was upgrading our ceiling fan to this matte black Solaria from Hunter Fan Company It’s the best fan we have ever had. We had previously had a 52″ fan in here and it really didn’t move the air around very well so it was time for it to go!

Aside from this fan being a larger size, 60″ in fact it has the brands exclusive SureSpeed technology, which means it’s a high-velocity fan with airflow optimized for high-speed cooling … and let me tell you that’s exactly what it does! The fan has specially designed blades and the motor is smaller, which makes it push air more efficiently — 20% more airflow than other fans! It also has an LED light, which is nice because we have been switching all our lights to LED – they are long lasting and energy efficient. But my favorite thing about this fan is thepre-paired and ready to use wall control! It eliminates the need for a remote and that’s a total game changer. There is nothing more frustrating than losing your fan remote and not be able to control it … believe me I know from first hand experience.

I have only seen this wall control feature on Hunter fans and I think it’s the smartest design I have ever seen! All you do it install in on your switch plate and it’s ready to use. You can turn it on and off through the wall control, as well as change the direction the fan spins and the speed, all from one place! Yay for never misplacing your ceiling fan remote again!!

The last thing I did to round out this room update was add in some vintage and faux vintage looking pottery, warm wood tones, house plants, and some candles! It wasn’t a big change but boy does this space feel more homie and functional, with an eclectic vibe that I’m completely in love with!!

-Grey Birch Designs-

 I love Fall! It’s definitely my favorite time of year. The crisp air, cute sweaters, pumpkin EVERYTHING (give me all the pumpkin spice) and of course the Fall decor. I have put together a round up of my favorite Fall finds this year. It has been so fun and I can’t wait to start decorating my home for Fall!!

Faux florals are one of my favorite things to switch out in my decor for each season and these are some of my favorite ones to really bring in that Fall vibe!

Finally, Fall wouldn’t be Fall without pumpkins and candles, right?!? Here are a few of 

-Grey Birch Designs-

 Our kitchen is truly the heart of our home. We spend so much time in here eating meals, doing homework, and most importantly cooking. I put a lot of effort into the design of my kitchen because I love cooking, especially with my husband.  It’s usually my time to unwind, but cooking can quickly turn from fun to stressful when you have hungry, bored kids at your feet wanting to know when dinner is ready. Enter in my lifesaver Samsung family hub refrigerator!!

I never imagined how useful this refrigerator would be! It serves as a source of entertainment for my little ones with the coloring note pad app, music, and YouTube built in to the family hub. It makes cooking dinner less stressful and more entertaining! I can’t tell you how many times I have found my kiddos giggling as they pull up a photo of mom or day and draw on mustaches and funny hats! I regularly set up the coloring note pad for my youngest son before I start cooking. Then I know he is happy, entertained, and close to me if he needs anything which makes meal prep and cooking relaxing and enjoyable!!

Although I love to cook I’m definitely not a gourmet chef!  I make a super simple sauce to put over chicken or fish that you would think took me all day to make! My favorite simple sause for the summer is this Herb Lemon Cream sauce. It’s delicious on any protein and so ease to make!

Ingredients:

• Fresh Dill
• 4 TBSP Sour Cream
• 2 TBSP Chicken Stock Concentrate
• 2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 Cup Hot Water

Directions:

Add Dill, Sour Cream, Chicken Stock Concentrate, Dijon Mustard, Lemon and hot water to a med size sauce pan. Heat thoroughly till all the ingredients come together stirring frequently with a wisk.  Let simmer for 5 minuets, serve warm over your favorite protein or vegetables!

 Over the past few months I have felt my style evolving, not necessarily changing but just becoming more refined. It’s funny to look back on how my style has changed over the years and grown up right along with me! One thing I have always loved is a vintage twist in my decor. I love to mix styles, specifically modern with a twist of vintage vibe, and that’s exactly what I did in my sunroom!

The real star of this room is my new handmade vintage inspired Rune rug from Revival Rugs. I have been a long time fan of their beautiful rugs and I’m so excited to add one into my home! I love the natural colors,  the beautiful design, and of course I’m a sucker for any rug with fringe!! This rug is inspired by nomadic tribes. They were limited by the size loom they would make their rugs on, so they would commonly join long narrow panels together to make a larger, wider rug. How cool is that! I love knowing the story and history behind vintage pieces, as well as the design inspiration of vintage reproductions. It truly gives more life to a piece of decor for me.

  

This room is the perfect space for my new rug because this is where I have so many of my vintage inspired faux found pottery I have made. Have you tried this project yet?! I’m seriously obsessed with making these! They are the perfect compliment to each other and bring the whole look and feel of the space together, with a little bit of a story! This room has such a warm welcoming feel to it now and it’s a place we love to gather together as a family and enjoy a meal!

Revival rugs not only has vintage inspired handmade rugs, but also a collection of true one of a kind vintage rugs that you can’t find anywhere else! Check them out here and use my code: GREYBIRCH10 to save yourself 10% off a truly beautiful and unique rug for your home that will last the test of time!

-Grey Birch Designs-

I have been super interested in the benefits of replacing our fabric softener with wool dryer balls. I love the idea of it being chemical free because a couple of my kids have very sensitive skin. I also love that you can add a few drops of essential oils to give your clothes a fresh smell!

I set out to make my own and give then a shot! They are super easy to make and there is a good chance you already have what you need around your home, making this a very affordable project!

To make these you will need any color yarn as long as it’s 100% wool. This is a very important part of this project! I found it a little hard to find 100% wool yarn from my local craft store so I ended up ordering this yarn and it worked great! You will also need some nylon pantyhose and I found these one to be quite cheap!

There are only a few steps to the project and it’s super simple! First you want to start the base of your ball. Take three fingers and wrap the yarn around them a few times, I did around 5-6. Then remove the yarn from your fingers and wrap the yarn around the middle of the loop you just made 7-8 times. Next, wrap the yarn around the base you just created until you get the size dryer ball you like! Remember to slightly turn your ball while you are wrapping so that it will stay a round shape.

          

Then cut the yarn and tie off the end. Now you are going to put your wool balls in the nylon pantyhose and tie a knot. Repeat this step until all your wool balls are inside the pantyhose.

     Now it’s time to make it all come together! Wash them with hot water in your washing machine. I use my Samsung Flex Washer and Dryer. With the smaller washer on top I can do this project without running a full load of laundry or wasting water by running the washer with only the dryer ball project in it.

Once the cycle is finished in the washer throw it in the dryer on high. Then remove them from the pantyhose and you’re done!! I made this project with my daughter and we had a lot of fun. It was also a great opportunity to teach my daughter how to do laundry and all the awesome things our Samsung appliances can do – the top feature being the duel washer and dryer. Fingers crossed this little laundry lesson will make her want to do her own laundry from now on!

     

-Grey Birch Designs-