Happy New Year!!!

I hope you all had wonderful holidays!!

I am almost ashamed to show my face in the blogosphere after such a long absence...  what started with a computer crash and a bad cold has turned into a full-blown two-month blog hiatus!  Well, I'm back today to share some news (to explain my absence, in part) and a before & after!

News first...  as much as we love DC, Bethesda, our wonderful neighborhood, friends, colleagues, preschool... and our lovingly updated center hall colonial... an exciting new opportunity is taking us to Boston!  As you can imagine, things have been a little hectic here since we made this big decision.  I wish I could say I feel totally refreshed and ready to kick it back into high gear on the blogging front... but, I'm afraid that my postings might be spotty for a while.  Once we sort out the logistics of moving a family of four... we look forward to putting down roots in our new city, in a new (probably old) home... and of course, updating/decorating/DIY'ing to make that home our own (and blogging about it all)!   

In the meantime, we finally had the front entrance renovation completed and I'm so excited to share the after pics with you!  First, here's a reminder of our front entrance before (see prior posts about plans, hardware options, old knocker, windows, outdoor lighting options, handlesets, paint colors and knocker):

And, after:

Sconces are Maxim Westlake.  I ended up sticking with white paint on the siding. 

Handleset is by Emtek; mail slot by Baldwin.  The door color is Space Black by Benjamin Moore.  Although I had envisioned the door being a little darker/deeper black and a little glossier... I'm still thrilled with how it looks. 

Door by Simpson; Knocker by Restoration Hardware; peep hole by Emtek.

I'm so happy with the way things turned out (and frankly, so relieved to have a door that opens and closes without a struggle)!  The windows make a huge difference - breaking up the "white blob" on the outside, and bringing much more light to the foyer.  My single favorite thing is the brass ring knocker from Restoration Hardware - I think I'll have to get another one for our next home.  If you've been following - we decided not to switch out our foyer light, in light of the upcoming move.  Since I had already purchased the Robert Abbey Chase flush mount, I'll just have to find a place for it in our new place.


**By the way - if you live in our area - I highly recommend our wonderful contractor, Jerry Gerard, who also redid our bathrooms.  Email me if you'd like his contact info!