A Road Trip & A Farmhouse

Let’s take a trip, shall we?

I love a good road trip. I must because I do them quite often. But, with family and friends who live hours and hours away from me, there leaves no choice but to pack the car and hit the road.

The first week of August, the kids were out of school, and Eric was going away on a business trip…for the week. Need I say more??? There was nothing left to do, but hit the road ourselves. Seeing that I hadn’t been to my parents’ since Thanksgiving, I figured it was time to make a trip.

It’s a very long and hard trip. It’s about an 8 hour drive, but traveling I-95 and I-20 for 6 hours and then hitting back roads for another 2, it’ll wear a girl {or anybody} out.

We had a great time that week. We got to take the kids swimming at a friend’s house…thanks, Sassy! We got to go catch up with my Great aunt and uncle, whom I just adore, we played with BB – a very close family friend, and we had some nice relaxation time too.

One day we decided to take a little road trip…yes, another one.  This trip would only be about 45 minutes. You see, I get a subscription to Southern Living Magazine. It’s a must if you’re a true southerner…especially a southern lady. I love this magazine. It’s like a holiday for me every month when my new magazine arrives. My world stops. Who cares if there’s dinner to be made, homework to be completed, or baths to give…this mama is going to sit and look, and ooh and aah, and read cover to cover. I have a big ole’ stack of them around my house because I can’t bear to get rid of them…they are my National Geographic.

I digress.

Anyway, if you get this sacred magazine {and if you don’t get it…what’s wrong with you? Just kidding}, you know that the August issue was focused on the Before and After’s of the 2012 SL Idea House.

 

What’s even more exciting about this house is that it’s located in Senoia, Georgia which is about 45 minutes from my parents’…perfect for a day trip.

I didn’t have to do much twisting of arms on Mama and Daddy. They jumped right into my idea, and one morning we took off.

We pull into Senoia, a very small Georgia town. Just precious. There’s a small "downtown” area with adorable shops and restaurants that line the streets. It’s actually a pretty popular place to film movies. In fact, if you’ve seen the recent movie “Footloose”. You know, the remake of the classic? It was filmed in Senoia. Other famous southern movies filmed here were Driving Miss Daisy and Fried Green Tomatoes. {Just a little movie trivia for you.}

Being in a little town, it didn’t take long to find this Idea House. I was beside myself with excitement. I was like a kid on Christmas morning. I was going to get to tour this house that looked so beautiful in the magazine. I had studied it to a “T” before arriving, so to see it all in person made me super happy.

We paid our $12 to get in and tour. It was a self-guided tour. I asked if I could take pictures, and they obliged. I think I did a little jump at that moment and started snapping away.

The house was gorgeous. Of course it was…it was done by professionals and by people of Southern Living.

We walked around the house ooh and aahing at all the details that were made in revamping this house. You see, this farmhouse was an old farmhouse built in the 1830s. The house was picked up, moved, and an addition was added. I have to tell you, the designers kept the “old” feeling of the house while updating it and making it perfectly modern as well. It was such a great combination.

Let’s take a little walk through.

I love how the family room was open to the kitchen and dining areas. It was one big, bright space.

I love this stove, and would die to have one myself.

The house rambles on and there are so many rooms downstairs. There’s the “Keeping Quarters”.

I absolutely love a stripe on a wall, and to think this gingham was painted is amazing. I might just have to try it…

Dallas’ favorite room was the laundry room…that’s my girl. I think she only liked it the best because the walls were painted with chalkboard paint.

The master bedroom was very soothing. I LOVE this grey tufted bed, and the pops of orange. Not sure how I feel about the antlers above the bed, but am loving the clapboard walls. It gives the house that old, farmhouse feeling.

The cleanliness of this bathroom is great. I do love the white subway tiled shower. And do you notice the color of the vanity cabinets??? They’re almost an exact match of my kitchen island cabinets.

We rambled on and on throughout this house. Here are a few more pictures of my favorite spaces:

Then there was the outside. This girl loves a porch, and the porches on this house just rambled on and on.

There was a cute little nook outside the mater bedroom with a bench. My daddy and I stopped for a quick pose, and then Dallas got one too. Papa G with two of his favorite girls…

I have to tell you, this Idea House gave me so many ideas for my own. I am going to take ideas from here and incorporate them into my house.

In case you’re in the area and would like to visit this beautiful home, it is still open. It will be open until the end of December. I hear they are going to be decorating for Christmas in October sometime. I’m sure it will be breathtaking!!!

We worked up an appetite went to lunch and walked around the little town for a bit before hitting the road again. And then our little road trip came to an end.

I just have one question for you…

What in the heck is this supposed to say???