Coffee with a View

By: Allyson Keys

Wow--it has been one busy weekend!  Yesterday, I traveled to Milwaukee for some antiquing with my sister-in-law [well not quite sister-in-law yet, but I am crossing my fingers].  It was a great day full of unique finds, including a new favorite Milwaukee stop--WasteCap Resource Solutions--and it is non-profit.  How cool is that!

Today though, it was a day of Murphy.  If you don't know, Murphy is our eight month old German Shepherd who has filled our little family with energy and love [exhaustion is in there too].  Wow, have my mornings changed since this ball of energy has joined us.  There is no more sitting around with a cup of coffee and enjoying some HGTV. Nope--not even close.  We instead started our morning off with a very rainy walk.

 

He takes after Christopher because he is pretty slow going in the morning.  He will mosey while looking up at you like 'Really?', but about a mile in we finally had a good pace going. 

When we got back to the house, I did a little laundry while he was recharging his batteries after he ate breakfast.  He started to dose off, but when I start getting my breakfast ready--aka open the peanut butter jar--he is right at my feet with a look of  'I love peanut butter--can I have some?'

How could I resist, so it now has become our morning ritual of him licking off the extra peanut butter left on the knife.  After we get done with our peanut butter toast, I attempt to sit down for one of my favorite cooking show--Pioneer Woman.  However, Mr. Murph seemed to have found his puppy that is losing the stuffing.

 

Now this puppy is a very important toy to Murphy.  This is the toy we got from the kennel when we first picked him up in August.  It had his mother's and litter mates' smells on it, so he would have a familiar smell when transitioning to our home [no worries--it has been washed several times since August].  Also, puppy was the exact same size as Murphy when we picked him up from the kennel.  Check out these cute throw back pictures:

So I got out my sewing kit to quickly repair the little guy.  As soon as I tied the thread, Murphy had him in his mouth.  This is the sign of nap time--phew!

Now that he is finally sleeping--I am able to successfully watch a full episode of Fixer Upper--or maybe at least part of it!  Hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

Favorite Things Friday, Hook Projects

 

By: Megan Hook

This is the spot you will find me most when I am home, in our living room. As you can see in the picture above my husband and I chose to buy an older home with a lot of character. I'm not going to lie, it has had its issues because of being old, but I am more than happy with our decision!

 

The reason for this picture is to show you another one of my favorite things, and that is the chest, right there, dead center in our living room. I LOVE it! I actually got this idea from my sister when I visited her one day back in Madison. We ventured out antique shopping that very next day to find one similar for me. I got this beauty for under $100, and it is perfect. Not only does it do what every coffee table does, but it is also a beautiful centerpiece for our space. It has storage inside for blankets, and it gives more character to the room.

 

Next time you are on the look out for a new coffee table, I say give it a try!

 

 

 

Until Next Time,

 





Guest Bedroom Makeover

BY: MEGAN HOOK

 

 

 Aren't they pretty? Ok, maybe not so much! But these pieces are old and heavy duty which makes them gold in my eyes. This furniture has survived many years with my husband moving from one place to the other. It may be missing some knobs and look very beat up but I am ready to give it new life.

 

Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint is probably the best thing since sliced bread. This miracle paint does wonders to all sorts of projects and is very user friendly. There are many colors to choose from but for my project I had went with Old White along with the Clear Wax.

 

http://www.anniesloan.com/

 

 After two coats of paint, one coat of the clear wax, one sheet of sandpaper to rough up the edges and two new knobs from Hobby Lobby I now have beautiful masterpieces on my hands and ready to decorate.

 

I'll fill you in on a few of my "Go To" home decorating stores I always find myself at. Not only do they all have great deals but they also have so much to choose from. First and foremost Home Goods is on top of my list. Then there is Hobby Lobby the store that has literally EVERYTHING! Finally check out the nearest repurposed boutiques in your area. You will always find something unique there to decorate with! And now for the final product...

 

 

 

 

 

Until Next Time,

 



 

Coffee with a View

 

By: Megan Hook

 

It's Sunday and where I am at we try our best to stay indoors when it is -21 degrees outside. Therefore I have spent my day cozied up on our couch reading this classic book To Kill a Mockingbird and watching the rest of the playoff games.

 

It was tough last night watching my team fall short of moving on. Especially being such a die-hard fan and having to watch the game in public where they are not so loved. But the Packers have had a curvy season and as sad as it is to say goodbye I am looking forward to seeing them all healthy and ready to play for 2016. Call me crazy but I am feeling a Super Bowl...

 

Anyway my couch is starting to miss me and I need to keep reading cause I have more books I cannot wait to get into. So I am signing off but leave you with some pictures I took quickly this morning of my beautiful street and the snow. It may look nice but it sure doesn't feel that way!

 

 

Until Next Time,

Favorite Things Friday

BY: MEGAN HOOK 

Can I get a TGIF!!! We wait for this day all week, am I right?

 

Today I am kicking off our blog with a new topic called Favorite Things Friday. Each week we will take turns posting our all time "Favorite Things" with you. Who knows it might become your favorite too!
 

I have been a huge fan of Kate Spade since this past summer when I bought my first watch. Ever since then I keep wanting more! Thankfully my husband is typically a good listener because he smacked it right out of the park with my new Kate Spade set (pictured above) for Christmas this year. As much as I love her arm candy and other jewelry you have to check out her gorgeous handbags. The selection seems endless when it comes to colors and designs. It is definitely hard to pick just one!

 

Now start shopping if it is your payday... 
 

https://www.katespade.com/ 

 

Until next time,



Coffee with a View

By: Allyson Keys

Happy Sunday!  I am excited to be posting our first 'Coffee with a View'.  This will be a chance for you to see what we are up to on our weekends.  Whether it is a project, flea market trip, or just a relaxing morning, we are going to share with you 'Our View' of the weekend.

As per usual I find myself with a cup of coffee and a new project.  After being sick for the past few days, I find myself with enough energy to get back into the swing of things.  Today I am working on creating some fun accent decor with old book pages. These are easy to utilize throughout your home--add to a coffee table, bookshelf or mantle for a little extra flair.  Also, these are great to add height or layers to your decor.  

 As you can see, I only have two done, so I better sign off and get busy! 

Blessings--

Resolutions

Happy 2016!  It is that time of year again when everyone is making goals to better their lives, so we thought it would be fun to share with you a few of our goals for the coming year.  Also, for a little twist we added one thing that makes us nervous about 2016 and how we plan to overcome it.  Leave a comment below with your own resolutions for the upcoming year!

• Bring on the H20--As a runner you would think that drinking water is a habit, but for this girl, I find it hard to make the right choice and choose water.  So my goal for the upcoming year is to drink more [water that is].  I am going to start with the hardest part of the goal and not have any caffeine until I have a glass of water in the morning.  I have read that starting your morning with a cold glass of water [even with a little lemon] is a great way to kick start your metabolism, so hopefully I can see two benefits from this goal.  One way to motivate me is a cute new glass water bottle I found at Target.  It is always helpful to have something pretty to keep you on your goal!

• Making Lists I Can Finish--Every day, week, month I make a list.  I am very ambitious, so my lists are most times more than I can manage in the time span I give them.  This causes me to become anxious or stressed that I didn't get to all the tasks I panned to get done.  I think it is important to have tasks laid out for the day, but it also is important to relax a little.  I plan on only putting manageable items on my To Do List from now on.  If I cannot get the project done on a certain weekend, then I will put it on a future plan list.  I plan on using a notebook or a binder to keep track of all this.  Download a free list by clicking HERE!

• Take a Trip=Nerve Racking. Umm, what?--To be honest, traveling for me comes with many excuses [money, time, and of course the fear of a plane plunging out of the sky].  This year, I need to take away these excuses and commit to a trip.  I just need to start by heading to the nearest pharmacy for some pills to make the plane trip a little easier--no seriously.  Then comes the saving part!  Budgeting for a trip will come with a few sacrifices, but it is important to remember that we only live once, so skipping a Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks during a Target trip will pay off in the end!

• Stop with the EXCUSES! I find myself always second guessing things. I need to say YES to that trip, start and finish more books, buy that expensive night cream especially if it is going to make my face look young, realize that the gym won’t double charge me if I show up more than once a week, and most of all tell everyone I love that I love them to their face although it can be awkward for me to say out loud.

• Where is my Handy Dandy Notebook! I need to start taking notes, drawing out my ideas, and setting timelines right before bed. Not sure if any of you have this problem like I do but as soon as my head lays down on that pillow I am either completely asleep or my mind is racing full of ideas and thoughts. Therefore I bought a cute notebook, from the best store on the planet Target, and have it in my top drawer on my nightstand along with a pen. Now when the moment strikes I will reach for it and scribble it all down to have the next morning. We can’t have creativity float away in our dreams now can we?

• I’M TURNING 30! It is scary for me and that is a bit of an understatement. I know I need to be grateful for every day I get on this earth but it still twists my stomach a bit knowing I am saying goodbye to my 20’s. The years I could party all night, not have a mortgage, live with my parents off and on, and be “young”. But if I want to be 100% honest with myself and all of you I’m scared because that means everyone else gets older too. And as we age we start to finally see the things we have always had and took for granted. So how do I turn this around? Well start with a big bottle of Relax Riesling and top it off with taking in all the moments I share and am apart of with those I love….things don’t matter people do.

Welcome

Hello and Welcome!  We are two sisters with a passion for everything home.  We are kick starting our new year with Hook & Keys, and we are excited to have you join us on our new exciting journey.  Hook & Keys is a place where we will share our creations and inspirations.  So, grab a cup of coffee and stay awhile!  Click the tabs above to get to know each of us a little better.